The Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTSC) has asked the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases to be brought against the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) over the cancelled bidding for the western extension of the MRT Orange Line.
A source said on Tuesday that a lawyer representing BTSC had filed the petition against the MRTA and other parties on Monday for allegedly violating Sections 157 and 165 of the Criminal Code and Section 172 of the constitution's 2018 organic law on corruption suppression and prevention.
The BTSC claims the accused parties unlawfully changed the bidding criteria after a number of contenders, including itself, had already submitted their bids.
Previously, the BTSC had petitioned the Central Administrative Court against the change in the bidding criteria and the court initially found that the change was likely to be unlawful.
It then ordered the MRTA to suspend the bidding until it had handed down its final ruling on the matter.
The MRTA, however, then announced it was cancelling the bidding, which the BTSC claims damaged its interests.
The court looks set to begin examining the BTSC's petition on March 15.
MRTA governor Pakapong Sirikantaramas insisted the authority had done everything in accordance with the law but he would have to study the MRTA's court petition in more detail before he could comment further.
The Orange Line dispute between the BTSC and the MRTA gained public attention again last week when the opposition highlighted the issue as a reason to target Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob in the censure debate.
Mr Saksayam says the committee tasked with selecting the bid winner complied with the law when it resolved to scrap the previous bidding process.
He said new bidding was scheduled to take place later this month. He was also confident the selection process would be completed within six months and all the work would finish on time.
The eastern side of the Orange Line is due to begin operations in October 2024 and the western side in April 2027.