The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) probe into corruption allegations over the bungled police station construction scheme will cover a key suspect said to be linked to an influential politician.
Thanin Prempree, deputy director of the Bureau of Special Crime 2 of the DSI, said the DSI now had some information to establish a link between this suspect and the influential politician but needs to dig further into the matter.
Mr Thanin was asked if the real owner of the building registered as the address of the head office of PCC Development and Construction Co, the sole contractor of the project, is an influential figure in Chiang Mai.
He said he had reason to believe this is the case.
Tarit: Will summon Abhisit and Suthep (AFP Photo)
Mr Thanin said he could not reveal the name of the building's owner until the DSI obtains solid evidence to implicate him, but said the person is a very influential figure.
The building is No.292/1 on the Chiang Mai-Lampang Road in tambon Pa Tan in Chiang Mai's Muang district.
Piboon Udomsithikul is registered as president of PCC and his relative, Wisanu Wisetsing, is an executive of the company, Mr Thanin said. He strongly believes there is an influential figure behind them who is actually pulling the strings but is not listed as a shareholder of the company.
The DSI is investigating irregularities in the drafting of the terms of reference (ToR) for the bidding in 2011 for the construction contract to build 396 police station offices and 163 police apartment blocks nationwide.
In the initial ToR, Provincial Police Regions 1 to 9 were allowed to conduct their own bids to find contractors for their areas, Mr Thanin said.
The DSI suspects senior Democrat Party figure Suthep Thaugsuban, who was deputy prime minister at the time, intervened to change the ToR so the entire project would go to a single contractor.
PCC won the bidding with an offer that was 540 million baht less than the median price of 6.2 billion baht.
The company was acting as a broker and later subcontracted the work to someone else, Mr Thanin said. The work has since been left incomplete and abandoned.
The first and second installments of the construction work, worth 877 million baht and 600 million baht respectively, had already been paid to PCC, said Mr Thanin.
"But we've found in our investigation that the subcontractors never received the money," he said.
At least 10 subcontracted firms provided the DSI with information about the project and they are all being treated as witnesses, he said.
Mr Thanin said he would recommend the Royal Thai Police scrap the contract awarded to PCC on the grounds that the company violated bidding conditions, which prohibited it from subcontracting the work. The police should not waituntil the contract expires on March 14 as PCC could then offer to pay a fine in exchange for renewing the contract.
The contract has already been extended three times despite the lack of progress in construction, said Pheu Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit. He said the police should sue PCC for compensation.
A number of potential bidders had lodged a complaint with former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva against the bidding process change, said DSI chief Tarit Pengdith, but the appeal was ignored. He said he had obtained a copy of the petition.
- Earlier Report: DSI eyes Abhisit
The DSI will summon both Mr Abhisit and Mr Suthep for questioning.
The DSI has summoned three former national police chiefs - Pol Gen Patcharawat Wongsuwon, Pol Gen Prateep Tanprasert and Pol Gen Wichean Potephosree - for questioning on Feb 11, 13 and 15 respectively.
Pol Gen Patcharawat said Wednesday he retired before the project was endorsed. Pol Gen Wichean said the project was approved before he became the national police chief.
Pol Gen Prateep, who was national police chief at the time the project was approved, did not comment.
Democrat spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut defended Mr Suthep.
He said the Royal Thai Police changed the bid process.
He dismissed allegations of price collusion in the bidding, saying Sam Prasit Co made the second lowest offer at 293 million baht below the median price, a very different offer compared to that of PCC.
This could never be considered an act of price collusion, he said.