Loei park chief faces weir graft investigation

Loei park chief faces weir graft investigation

Irregularities 'hurt budget, environment'

The Phu Rua National Park chief is facing a serious disciplinary misconduct probe, following allegations of irregularities in a weir construction project in Loei, which cost the government about 20 million baht in damages.

The three-year project, aimed at improving conservation of watershed areas in the northern province, is thought to have been exploited by Ronnaphop Khatmat for personal gain.

The National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department said irregularities with the project have dealt a financial blow to the provincial budget and set back conservation efforts.

It has set up a panel to investigate Mr Ronnaphop over disciplinary violations which officials believe "caused damage to the park", department chief Thanya Netithammakun said Moinday.

For an in-depth investigation into dishonest behaviour in budget spending, the department will ask the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) for help, he said.

The PACC earlier tipped off his department to the possibility of wrongdoing after it received a complaint over suspicious project activity being carried out using the province's annual budget.

The province grants Phu Rua National Park about 10 million baht a year for a range of conservation projects. Under one plan, which began in 2014, up to 1,300 weirs, aimed at retaining water, and a 110km fire break would be built in the park, which covers parts of Tha Li and Phu Rua districts of Loei in an area of more than 75,000 rai.

Part of the budget was supposed to go into organising training for local volunteers to help the government protect forests.

There was no problem in the first year. However, irregularities were found during the two following years when environmental officials "did not ask for weir construction but requested the 10-million-baht budget", Mr Thanya said.

Later the officials simply informed the department construction had been cancelled.

This raised suspicions they were making false reports to the department prompting questions as to where the 20 million baht had gone, Mr Thanya said.

A closer look at construction areas also raised more questions.

Department investigators found construction was being "duplicated" as new weirs were built on areas where water barriers already existed, the department chief said.

In practice, the natural terrain of the national park restricted weir construction because the eastern part of Phu Rua consists mainly of high cliffs, making it difficult or unnecessary to build those barriers, he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Thanya has transferred Manot Wongsurirat, head of Hat Chao Mai Marine National Park in Trang province, to an inactive post in the Protected Area Regional Office 5 in Nakhon Si Thammarat province for allegedly underperforming.

Mr Manot is accused of making many managerial mistakes, prompting complaints from local fishermen.

The department says "he often failed to manage entrance fee collections" at the park and ignored having to maintain boats necessary for park officials to carry out their duties, Mr Thanya said.

The local fishermen's association also alleged there were irregularities in a dugong research project, he added.

Narong Khon-iat, chief of Ramkhamhaeng National Park in Sukhothai, will replace Mr Manot as the marine park chief.

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