Suthep slaps Tarit with libel suit

Ex-deputy PM rejects claims of police station graft

Former deputy premier Suthep Thaugsuban Thursday filed a libel suit against Department of Special Investigation chief Tarit Pengdith for trying to implicate him in alleged irregularities in the police stations construction project.

Former deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban on Thursday defended his role in the police station building contract saga after the Department of Special Investigation launched a probe of alleged corruption in the unfinished projects. (Photo by Apichart Jinakul)

Mr Suthep, who oversaw the Royal Thai Police during the Democrat administration, insisted that neither he nor former premier Abhisit Vejjajiva had any knowledge of a letter from potential bidders opposing the Royal Thai Police plan to centralise the bidding process for 396 police stations nationwide.

"I'm a fighter and I swear on my life that I'm not corrupt. I don't cheat and I did not gain even a single baht from this," the veteran politician said.

All nine regional police offices were originally allowed to call bidding contests for the construction work of their police stations separately but the terms of reference were later changed to centralise the bidding process resulting in only a single company being allowed to undertake the work.

Mr Tarit claimed on Wednesday that construction firms submitted the letter to Mr Abhisit to oppose the move because they were concerned they would not be able to compete with bigger firms but their petition was ignored by Mr Abhisit and Mr Suthep.

Mr Tarit also said the DSI was considering summoning Mr Abhisit for questioning because his government had approved the new bidding approach despite objections by these construction companies.

Mr Abhisit said Thursday that he had never een that letter before. Mr Tarit's move was politically motivated, he claimed.

Mr Suthep said the construction project for new police stations was initiated during the People's Power Party government under former prime minister Somchai Wongsawat.

The People's Power Party was the predecessor of the Pheu Thai Party.

The cabinet then approved the project on Nov 6, 2007 at a cost of 17.6 billion baht but the budget was later downsized to 6.67 billion baht.

The budget cut took place before the Abhisit government took over from the Somchai administration.

On May 29, 2009 Patcharawat Wongsuwon, then national police chief, proposed to allow the nine regional police offices to carry out bidding contests for the project, Mr Suthep said.

However, Pol Gen Prateep Tanprasert, then acting national police chief, decided to combine all the bidding contests into one, reasoning the method would help save state funds.

Mr Suthep said he approved the proposed change and stressed to Pol Gen Prateep that old buildings must not be demolished. The bidding was completed and the construction contract was signed during the term of another national police chief, Wichean Potephosree, he said.

Ten companies bought the bidding documents but only five entered the contest through the government auction process before PCC Development and Construction Co was chosen as the winner with the lowest bid of 5.8 billion baht, he said.

The bidding result was approved by a committee responsible for examining the contest, Mr Suthep said.

He strongly denied the DSI's claim of possible price collusion in the bidding process.

Mr Suthep said he had documents to show the details of the bidding contest and to disprove the DSI's price collusion allegation.

As for PCC, Mr Suthep insisted that he had not known the firm and had never contacted it either directly or indirectly.

Rak Thailand Party leader Chuvit Kamolvisit, meanwhile, held a press conference Thursday to defend the Democrat government, saying it was he who brought this issue up during the last censure debate against Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung.

The matter was now being politicised and exploited as a tool to attack the Democrats, he said.

If the Pheu Thai government realised PCC had violated the construction contract, why did the Royal Thai Police Office under former national police chief Priewpan Damapong agree to extend the contract period for the firm by 60 days after it failed to complete the project by the contractual deadline, Mr Chuwit asked.

The approved extension helped save PCC 5.8 million baht a day in fines, Mr Chuvit said.

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Former deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban on Thursday denied any involvement in suspected irregularities over the awarding of two contracts to PCC Development and Construction (PCC) to construct hundreds of police station buildings and police flats throughout the country.

Speaking at a press conference at parliament, Mr Suthep said he approved every step regarding the bidding for the projects, in line with the proposals made by the then police chiefs.

He said PCC tendered the lowest price, 5.84 billion baht, for the 396 police station buildings and the committee handling the bidding was of the opinion that that was acceptable since it was lower than the median price. So he approved the proposal to grant PCC the contract on Oct 7, 2010.

Mr Suthep said he never knew of PCC before the bidding and did not know who owned the company. He denied there was any bidding price collusion.

The former deputy prime minister said he had been unfairly accused of involvement in the suspected irregularities.

Mr Suthep said he did not press the Royal Thai Police to carry out the project. It was initiated during the Somchai Wongsawat administration led by the People Power Party in Nov 2007.

Tarit Pengdith, left, and Suthep Thaugsuban, right (Photo by Thiti Wannamontha)

On Thursday morning, he had his lawyer file a defamation lawsuit against Tarit Pengdit, director-general of the Department of Special Investigation.

The opposition Democrat MP said Mr Tarit had also tried to implicate Democrat leader and former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva in the alleged irregularities for political reasons.

"I want to leave a message for Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung. He can reveal the names of the people he believes were involved in this project.

"I'm a fighter and I swear on my life that I'm not corrupt. I don't cheat and I did not gain even a single baht from this," the veteran politician said.

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm said the documents presented by the DSI chief concerning the police station buildings project were accurate.

"I don't think the comments from Mr Suthep prove that the documents are false.

"There have been complaints about the project since Mr Abhisit served as prime minister and the budget was allocated from the Thai Khem Khaeng scheme of the previous Democrat-led administration, not the Somchai government," Mr Chalerm said.

He said the project was initiated when Pol Gen Patcharawat Wongsuwan was the national police chief in June 2009, followed by Pol Gen Pateep Tanprasert in November 2009.

PCC also won a separate contract to build 163 blocks of police flats.

Little of the work has been completed under either contract and most of the sites have been abandoned by the builders. The Yingluck Shinawatra cabinet last year extended the contracts until March this year.

Source: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/334777/suthep-denies-knowing-pcc-boss-sues-tarit