There is blatant corruption in the construction of futsal pitches at schools, said the auditor general.
: Prayong Preeyachit, secretary general of the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission, shows substandard materials used in the construction of the futsal pitch at a school in Prathai district in Nakhon Ratchasima on Oct 1. Tawatchai Khemgumnerd
The 689.53-million-baht project, part of the fiscal 2012 budget of the Education Ministry, involved the construction of futsal pitches at 358 schools in 17 provinces.
At this stage, 101 schools are under scrutiny.
Engineering tests showed substandard materials were used in the construction, said Pisit Leelavachiropas, who was named auditor general by the junta on Aug 23.
There have already been cracks on the pitches and the construction costs are higher than usual, he added.
His office has inspected the fields at various schools and found several did not meet the specifications.
This has caused several schools to be reluctant to take delivery and led to lawsuits between contractors and school administrations.
The inspection of the Region 5 branch of the Auditor General's Office has discouraged schools from taking delivery of the pitches in various provinces such as Ubon Ratchathani, Amnat Charoen, Yasothon, Nakhon Phanom and Mukdahan, saving 60 million baht of the budget, he said.
Up to 600 teachers nationwide could come under investigation as the probe expands.
They sat on school committees which oversaw electronic auctions involved in the procurement phase of the pitches.