PTT pipeline petition tossed out

PTT pipeline petition tossed out

The Supreme Administrative Court on Monday rejected a petition by consumer advocacy groups asking the court to demand national oil and gas conglomerate PTT Plc return all gas pipelines to the state. 

The court upheld a Central Administrative Court ruling which also threw out the petition.  

The Supreme Administrative Court ruled in 2007 that the PTT's 2001 initial public offering was legitimate but ordered the energy firm to return gas pipelines and some land to the state on the grounds they were regarded as national assets.

They include the third underseas pipeline laid before the firm was privatised. The pipeline started transporting gas in 2007.

But the Foundation for Consumers and its partners said in its petition that the PTT has handed over to the Finance Ministry only some onshore gas pipelines that had been installed before its partial privatisation in 2001.

They said they had also asked the Finance Ministry to demand the return of assets from the PTT, but no action was taken.

So they petitioned the Central Administrative Court to order the PTT to fully comply with the 2007 ruling by the Supreme Administrative Court for the firm to return to the state all assets acquired when the company was still a state enterprise.

But on Nov 2, 2012, the Central Administrative Court rejected their petition, reasoning they had already won the case in the Supreme Administrative Court, so there was no need for them to petition the Central Administrative Court again.

The Supreme Administrative Court yesterday said the petitioners have asked the court to examine the same case which it previously ruled on — an action prohibited under the legal process. The PTT, however, has insisted it has returned all the assets it was supposed to give back.

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