New details emerge in school 'tea money' probe

New details emerge in school 'tea money' probe

Ex-head Viroj Samluan, currently filling an inactive post, last month staged a 'support rally' by Samsenwittayalai School students but now a leading member of the alumni association has added to the evidence of big tea money payments. (Bangkok Post file photo)
Ex-head Viroj Samluan, currently filling an inactive post, last month staged a 'support rally' by Samsenwittayalai School students but now a leading member of the alumni association has added to the evidence of big tea money payments. (Bangkok Post file photo)

Former chairman of Samsenwittayalai School's alumni association handed the Education Ministry information allegedly linked to the "tea money" scandal at the school.

Chana Wongmusik, who is also a member of the Nakhon Si Thammarat Provincial Administrative Organisation council, submitted the information to Education Minister Teerakiat Jareonsettasin at the ministry via Chaipreuk Sereerak, the permanent secretary for education.

According to Mr Chana, it includes a list of more than 50 already-enrolled Mathayom 1 (Grade 7) students at the school, whose names were not displayed on the school's website among those eligible to enrol.

Some students who received low marks in the school's entrance examination were found to have been admitted, he said, adding he had also delivered names of the Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) executives suspected of demanding that the school enrol their children. Mr Chana said he was told that, in one case, 300,000 baht had been paid by parents to have their child enrolled in Mathayom 4.

The school made headlines last month after a parent circulated a video clip allegedly showing the school director, Viroj Samluan, receiving money for accepting his child into Mathayom 1.

The parent allegedly recorded every contact with the school director, including phone calls and the handover of the purported bribe. The director was said to have had his deputy accept the cash on his behalf.

Mr Viroj said he was the victim of a plot to oust him by disgruntled alumni whose children were not admitted to the school. Mr Chana said the full video clip had been sent to the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission for investigation.

Mr Viroj has been reassigned to work at the Secondary Educational Service Area Office 1 while the probe is carried out.

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