Legally, there is no corruption until the justice system says so. But the recent news from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has raised countless eyebrows, and not just inside the capital. The newly-renovated luxury offices of the governor represent one case. Now there is even a case of deja vu, as City Hall furiously tries to defend the purchase of tiny fire trucks at big prices.
These cases, as with others in the too-recent past, have emerged despite City Hall's attempts to keep them away from public view. They are disappointing on many levels. However, here is the most disappointing of all. The governor of Bangkok, MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra, took the job in 2009. He was re-elected in a dramatic poll in 2013, and pretty much refuses to be accountable.
That is the opposite of democracy. One expects a former academic, former cabinet minister and member of the party actually named for democracy to be, well, democratic. But MR Sukhumbhand has clammed up about the scandals listed above, among other problems at BMA headquarters. He appeared for a photo opportunity when Bangkok was hit by rain-induced street floods last month. Then he mostly disappeared. On the scandals at City Hall, he has had nothing to say.
It is difficult to write, but the city's standard bearer for the Democrat Party seems in recent months not to be an actual democrat. This is particularly frustrating at this time. So many people are hoping for renewal of the campaign to turn Thailand into a truly democratic nation. It is difficult now to remember, but there was a time when the academic and budding politician MR Sukhumbhand was an outspoken democrat, demanding accountability from all governments, including those of the Democrat Party.
His inner office at City Hall has turned into a luxury mancave; no other term fits so exactly. He and guests sit in 54,500-baht chairs at a 130,500-baht table, and if the 75-inch home theatre is at the wrong angle, they can turn to one of the 55-inch models -- five TVs in one "office", for which taxpayers paid 649,500 baht.
Investigators now believe those taxpayers may have been, effectively, double-billed. The Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) has revealed evidence that the grand total of 16.5 million baht used to make the governor comfortable apparently came from anti-flood funds. Specifically, the OAG believes MR Sukhumbhand's officials found money for the luxurious office in the budget for drainage operations -- where sewers and khlongs are cleared to prevent floods.
There was no comment from the governor. Nor has he opened up to the public that voted him into office about the new fire truck scandal. It should be remembered that MR Sukhumbhand came into office after his predecessor, Apirak Kosayodhin, had to step down eight years ago over a corruption scandal centred on fire-fighting equipment. Now, here we go again, as the BMA furiously and mostly fecklessly, tries to justify purchase of "mini fire-trucks" of high prices and low quality.
The 20 trucks, at a cost of 160 million baht, have been found to be under-powered and too small to hold the required fire-fighting equipment. They were assembled in Thailand from German plans, with the steering wheel on the wrong, or left side.
BMA officials claim they are perfect for getting down narrow sois. That's true. But the ability of the hugely expensive, extremely fragile fibreglass trucks to actually fight fires is the core question.