Suriya’ assigns ‘Permanent Secretary of Transport’ to appoint a fact-finding committee in the case of ‘Wertgen (Thailand)’ bribing officials of the Department of Highways – Department of Rural Roads reveals that he has signed the appointment of ‘Witthaya Yamuang’ as the chairman of the committee, setting a deadline for the investigation to be completed within 15 days, confirming that fairness will be given according to the principles of good governance – protecting the interests of the government.
Mr. Suriya Juangroongruangkit, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, revealed that he has ordered the appointment of a fact-finding committee in the case of Wertgen (Thailand) Co., Ltd. having bribed officials under the Department of Highways (DoH) and the Department of Rural Roads (DRR). Most recently, yesterday (October 2), Mr. Chaiyatham Phromsorn, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, signed the Ministry of Transport Order No. 127/2567, appointing a fact-finding committee in the said case
.
For the fact-finding committee in the case of Wertgen (Thailand) Co., Ltd. having behavior of bribing officials in the Ministry of Transport, Mr. Witthaya Yamuang, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, is the chairman of the committee, along with Mr. Jirapong Theppitak, Inspector General of the Ministry of Transport, Mr. Songyasin Chanapatipp, Assistant Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, as a committee member, Mr. Praprut Terob, Senior Legal Expert, is a committee member and secretary, and Ms. Nilubon Namwong, Legal Officer, is an assistant secretary.
Mr. Suriya continued that the appointment of the fact-finding committee was to ensure fairness in accordance with the principles of good governance and to protect the interests of the government and maintain the good image of the Ministry of Transport. The committee is responsible for and empowered to collect all relevant facts, laws, and evidence that it deems useful for the fact-finding. In the event that any facts are men
tioned or implicated in a person, document, or object that would be useful for the fact-finding, the committee is to investigate and collect all such evidence.
In addition, the committee shall summon any person to be a witness to clarify or give statements on the specified date, time and place, including investigating if there are any references in other cases involving Wertgen (Thailand) Co., Ltd. in agencies and state enterprises under the Ministry of Transport. However, the committee shall consider giving its opinion on the matter under investigation and prepare a report on the results of the investigation to be submitted to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport for consideration within 15 days.
Mr. Suriya added that according to the report, Wertgen (Thailand) Co., Ltd. bribed officials under the Department of Highways and the Department of Rural Roads since late 2017 – 2020 to obtain important information related to various projects or procurement, and the requirements of projects or work
of the Department of Highways and the Department of Rural Roads, which was directly or indirectly bribed in many forms, such as giving cash, providing meals, paying for consulting fees, taking officials and relatives on overseas trips, claiming that it was a study tour in Switzerland and other countries in Europe, as well as providing entertainment in massage parlors.
For bribing officials involved in procurement projects or works of the Department of Highways, including: 1) Project to purchase not less than 10-ton self-propelled rubber-tired rollers, 20 units; 2) Project to purchase not less than 3-ton front- and rubber-tired vibratory rollers, 18 units; 3) Project to purchase not less than 17-ton steel-tired vibratory rollers, 5 units; 4) Project to purchase road surface scrapers, scraper shaft width not less than 1 meter; 5) Project to purchase not less than 500 mm road surface scrapers, 2 units; 6) Project to maintain machinery/vehicles, type scraper with registration number 1-Oct 3415, Bangkok; and 7) P
roject to purchase vehicle materials. Meanwhile, bribery in procurement projects or works of the Department of Highways, such as the project to purchase 18 small mixed rollers (steel wheels – rubber wheels), not more than 4 tons, and other projects or works.
Source: Thai News Agency
