The State Audit Commission (SAC) yesterday confirmed that state energy giant PTT Plc must pay 32.61 billion baht to the Finance Ministry in compensation for the company's failure to return gas pipelines to the state as ruled by the Supreme Administrative Court.
Chaiyasit Trachutham, chairman of the SAC, said yesterday the conglomerate did not follow the cabinet's resolution in December 2007 which requested the company return the assets, deemed to belong to the state, to the Treasury Department, after the Office of the Auditor-General (OAG) examined the entire process in line with the Supreme Administrative Court's verdict issued in the same month.
He said the company submitted false information to the Supreme Administrative Court saying it had already returned all assets to the department deemed to belong to the state.
It filed the information despite the fact that the OAG had yet to conclude its examination.
The Foundation for Consumers filed a complaint to the SAC, accusing PTT of not following the court's order.
The OAG later concluded the company failed to return all of the state assets to the Treasury Department, particularly the pipelines, causing the government to lose 32.61 billion baht in revenue.
"The Finance Ministry is mandated to look after the country's assets. The ministry cannot ignore its job in reclaiming them," he said.
He suggested the government file a petition to the Supreme Administrative Court within 60 days seeking the court's order to demand compensation from the company and reclaim the state assets after receiving the SAC's letter advising of the resolution.
PTT's chief operation officer for infrastructure, Chavalit Punthong, hit back saying PTT has carried out the court's order including the return of state assets and pipelines to the government.
The company informed the court, both before and after its privatisation, of its assets under management and those which were returned, and the court issued several rulings saying the company had acted in line with the court's order.
"PTT cannot return more assets than those stipulated by the court's order," he said.
In regard to the complaint that PTT did not wait for the OAG's assessment results before informing the court on Dec 25, 2008, Mr Chavalit said PTT submitted all information concerning its assets on Jan 31, 2008 but the OAG had never provided any further feedback over the issue.