Former Democrat Party MP Wilas Chanpithak has accused the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration of corruption in the purchase of pianos for its schools at a cost of 1.3 billion baht between 2008 and 2014.
He said the schools do not even have staff who can teach piano.
Mr Wilas, a former chairman of the anti-corruption committee of the House of Representatives, said he investigated the purchases on his own after receiving complaints from the general public and teachers at BMA-run schools.
He denied he was collaborating with Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva in working for the expulsion of Bangkok governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra from the party.
Mr Wilas said the piano purchases began with a pilot project at 10 schools in 2008, each being allocated about 470,000 baht.
Another 250 million baht was spent in continuing the project and buying pianos and other musical equipment for 90 schools in 2009, and 480 million baht for another 150 schools in 2012.
In 2014, about 585 million baht was allocated to buy pianos and other musical equipment for the remaining 187 BMA schools. The 10 schools in the initial pilot project also received additional equipment.
The entire project involved a total budget of more than 1.3 billion baht. Another 114 million baht was also provided for each school to train two teachers.
Mr Wilas said his inquiries revealed the project had been carried out and the money spent without prior assessment of the schools' readiness to provide piano lessons.
Most of the schools were still not ready, because they lacked piano teachers, he said. Of the 437 pianos bought, less than 10% had actually been used. Moreover, each school had to set aside 20,000 baht per year for maintenance and repair of the pianos.
The Bangkok governor had not supervised the project himself, but authorised the director of the city education department to act on his behalf, opening the way for irregularities, Mr Wilas said.
The former MP said the purchases were made through e-auctions, with terms and specifications fixed in favour of three suppliers.
He said he would compile the evidence of irregularities in the project and petition the National Anti-Corruption Commission and the Office of the Auditor-General to investigate.
He would also ask the government to exercise its power under Section 44 of the interim constitution to demand compensation for the damage to the state from those involved, Mr Wilas said.