Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered a probe into alleged corruption in the Department of Groundwater Resources' artesian well drilling projects.
A 70-year-old fisherman retrieves his boat from dried-up Bueng Nong Sanoon, a catchment area in Nakhon Sawan’s Phayuha Khiri district, after the province was hit by severe drought. Chanat Katanyu
The premier's instruction follows complaints filed with the Office of the Auditor-General (OAG).
On Feb 5, the OAG sent a letter to the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, saying the office had received many complaints of alleged fraud regarding the water well drilling projects at villages and schools in remote areas.
According to an investigation, the department chose not to follow state regulations on the development projects for many years, resulting in poor quality wells. It is not clear how many wells were involved.
In addition, about 10-30% of the project's budget was spent on alleged commissions.
The OAG claims the corruption resulted in over 100 million baht in damages.
Some cases involved falsified documents, false reports and embezzled money.
"We are concerned about the issue. Serious consequences are in store for the state agency if the complaints prove to be true. We want the ministry to take action to prevent any losses and maintain transparency," it said in the letter.
The office also informed Gen Prayut on Feb 11 of the complaints.
The prime minister ordered Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, who oversees the ministry, to look into the allegations.
Kasemsun Chinnavaso, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry's permanent secretary, said most of the complaints are from anonymous letters.
It would be better if the office could verify which projects are corrupt so the ministry can take immediate action.
However, he admitted the ministry had found some irregularities in the department's projects while he was the ministry's chief inspector.
The ministry has been aware of some irregularities and invited state agencies to amend regulations to ensure transparency and prevent corruption.
The change to regulations would cover the terms of reference for such projects, including bidding procedures.
The new regulations will be applied to Department of Groundwater Resources projects once they are approved by the minister, Gen Surasak Karnjanarat.