SCB agrees to submit all KMITL papers

SCB agrees to submit all KMITL papers

Among the executives at the meeting between Siam Commercial Bank and King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang on Feb 13 are: (from left) Chamroon Laosinwattana, KMITL's acting rector, Kamchorn Tatiyakavee, secretary-general of Higher Education Commission, and Vichit Suraphongchai, Siam Commercial Bank's chairman. (Photo by Pawat Laopaisarntaksin)
Among the executives at the meeting between Siam Commercial Bank and King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang on Feb 13 are: (from left) Chamroon Laosinwattana, KMITL's acting rector, Kamchorn Tatiyakavee, secretary-general of Higher Education Commission, and Vichit Suraphongchai, Siam Commercial Bank's chairman. (Photo by Pawat Laopaisarntaksin)

Siam Commercial Bank has agreed to hand over to King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang all the documents related to the 1.5-billion-baht theft from the university's accounts by Feb 23.

SCB chairman Vichit Suraphongchai also said if it was proven by the court of law its employees were involved, or the damage was caused by their carelessness, the bank would "take responsibility" as required by law.   

Executives of the bank and KMITL met on Friday to discuss the submission of the documents which KMITL said had been long delayed.

The meeting followed mass withdrawals of money from SCB accounts by KMITL's staff and students on Feb 6 in protest of the bank's alleged reluctance to send the evidence to police and KMITL.

Acting KMITL rector Chamroon Laosinwattana said after Friday's meeting SCB had promised to send eight pieces of evidence involving three KMITL's large accounts at SCB's Big C branch by Feb 18.

The bank will also submit the remaining 31 pieces of evidence related to another five accounts by Feb 23. Another 68 documents requested by KMITL will be sent to police and their copies delivered to KMITL, he said.

"We hope SCB will cooperate fully so police can bring the perpetrators to justice and return the money to us," he said.

Mr Vichit said after the meeting the bank had never "compromised with corruption".

"We've set up a fact-finding team of which members had no role in the case for transparency."

He also said the bank would review its procedures of withdrawals, transfers and backdated slip signing. It will also reduce the approving authorisation of branch managers.

A key suspect in the case was a former SCB branch manager who reportedly approved cash transfers and asked KMITL executives to sign the withdrawal slips later.

"Backdated signing of withdrawal slips is possible but only for premium clients like KMITL. We didn't suspect any irregularities then because the slips were signed before witnesses."

Mr Vichit stopped short of naming which KMITL executives had signed the slips, saying he did not know the detail.

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