A Defence Ministry panel investigating the Rajabhakti Park project said on Wednesday it was operating under limited power and as such had been unable to find anything wrong, but some suspicious matters needed to be examined by other parties.
The military is investigating reported irregularities with the project located in the army's compound in Hua Hin district of Prachuap Khiri Khan province. In November the army concluded its own investigation into the 1-billion-baht project and found nothing wrong.
The project, initiated last year by Gen Udomdej Sitabutr, the former army chief and now the deputy defence minister, was originally intended to be financed by donations and was aimed at honouring the royal institution and creating a tourist attraction and venue for special ceremonies. Highlights of the park are giant metal statues of seven former Thai kings.
In a press conference at the Defence Ministry in Bangkok on Wednesday, Gen Chaicharn Changmongkol, the permanent secretary for defence who heads the ministry's nine-member inquiry team, said the panel was authorised only to find facts about the project from personnel and documents of personnel of the Defence Ministry.
His committee found that spending on the project complied with regulations of the PM's Office and the army, he said.
However, the panel had questions over some parts of the project including work with the foundries and a request for a 63-million-baht budget from the government's contingency fund to pay for it, Gen Chaicharn said.
Some persons targeted for questioning on such issues could not be reached and other authorised organisations outside the Defence Ministry would have to find answers to those questions, Gen Chaicharn said.
He said donations for the project amounted to 801 million baht and comprised 732 million baht in cash donated by government agencies and the private sector and collected through fund-raising events and 69 million baht in donated objects. The production of the giant statues and metal flower tray models cost 318 million baht.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon formed the ministry committee in November following criticism of the army's investigation which found nothing wrong with the park project, although authorities admit there were kickbacks from foundries.
