NACC warns of graft in flood prevention project

The government's 350-billion-baht water management and flood prevention project is susceptible to corruption, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) says.

Commissioner Klanarong Chanthik said an NACC subcommittee, chaired by Methee Klongkaew, had uncovered loopholes that could lead to corrupt practices.

"We neither oppose the project nor accuse the government [of corruption], but we have found several corruption-prone spots and want to ensure the state budget is spent efficiently and transparently," Mr Klanarong told a press conference on Friday.

Praipol: Too small number of contractors.

Praipol Koomsup, who heads the subcommittee's working group studying the scheme, said the small number of contractors bidding for the projects under the scheme and the use of turnkey contracts were the main risk factors that may lead to malpractice.

Only four contractors have bid for 10 project modules.

Under the bidding regulations, there must be at least three contenders for each project module, but the subcommittee found there are only two contenders for eight of the 10 modules, Mr Praipol said.

The small number of bidders could pave the way for price collusion; therefore, the bidding and tendering processes must be carried out with the utmost transparency to allow the public to closely monitor them, he said.

Special attention should also be paid to the projects' subcontractors to avoid a repeat of the recent police station scandal in which subcontractors failed to finish the construction within the contracted period.

Anti-corruption groups should also be allowed to monitor the scheme, he added.

Mr Methee said the NACC had already submitted the observations and proposals for corruption prevention in the water management scheme to the government.

Meanwhile, the Crime Suppression Division yesterday agreed to launch a probe into alleged corruption involving a flood rehabilitation scheme in Lop Buri province.

The investigation follows a complaint lodged by Federation of Thai Industries chairman Phayungsak Chartsuthipol.

In his complaint, Mr Phayungsak accuses Prapan Montakarntiwon, the former chief of the Department of Skill Development, and Sanong Pathanu, president of the Lop Buri Federation of Industry, of colluding with 11 others in siphoning about 6 million baht out of a 12-million-baht scheme.The scheme is part of the government's project to help workers affected by the 2011 floods in Lop Buri.

Source: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/350630/nacc-warns-of-graft-in-flood-prevention-project