The Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) says it has found irregularities in a multi-million baht project to build school futsal pitches across the country.
PACC secretary-general Prayong Priyachit officials on Wednesday to examine the 5-million-baht futsal court and its construction materials at Han Huaisrai Witthaya School in Nakhon Ratchasima's Prathai district. The PACC received complaints of "irregularities" in construction of futsal courts at schools across the country. (Photo by Tawatchai Kemgumnerd)
PACC secretary-general Prayong Priyachit and Col Sommai Bussaba, a member of the 2nd Army's legal team, took officials to examine several futsal pitches at schools in Nakhon Ratchasima's Prathai and Non Sung districts.
Their inspection followed complaints to the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) via the 2nd Army about possible irregularities in the construction of futsal pitches at schools under the Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec).
Mr Prayong said Obec had allocated budgets to schools nationwide to repair dilapidated buildings in 2012. The commission also set aside a separate budget of 689 million baht to build futsal pitches at 358 schools in 17 provinces.
Of the 358 schools, 101 spent money building futsal pitches as they were supposed to. A total of 335 million baht was spent at these schools in 11 provinces, mostly in the Northeast. They included schools in Nakhon Ratchasima, Ubon Ratchathani, Chaiyaphum, Mukdahan, Surin, Amnat Charoen, Yasothon, Si Sa Ket, Khon Kaen and the two northern provinces of Chiang Rai and Phayao.
However, alleged irregularities were found at 257 other schools which received the remaining 354 million baht for the futsal pitch construction project. Some allegedly diverted their budgets for other projects.
An initial probe also found that futsal pitches at 30 schools in Nakhon Ratchasima were quickly affected by subsidence despite having a two-year guarantee, Mr Prayong said.
Synthetic rubber floor sheets were found to be substandard and the prices were three to four times higher than they should have been, the PACC secretary-general said.
The PACC, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) and the Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) will investigate the construction of all school futsal pitches, Mr Prayong said. The agencies have six months to complete the investigation, ordered by Justice Minister Gen Paiboon Koomchaya.
The joint probe will examine the procurement contracts to see whether proper procedures were followed and whether construction met proper standards, Mr Prayong said.
An initial probe found irregularities regarding the specifications for construction materials used in Nakhon Ratchasima, while two firms hired to build the futsal courts were operated by the same person, the PACC secretary-general said.
"Rubber sheet flooring price for a futsal pitch is usually no more than 310,000 baht, but most schools bought the flooring sheets at 1.9 million baht,'' Mr Prayong said.
Col Sommai said several former politicians were involved in the construction of futsal pitches at schools in seven districts of Nakhon Ratchasima.
He said schools in those districts received 5 million baht each for construction of a pitch. However, the actual cost was estimated at 200,000 baht each.
