City Hall will not utilise the fire trucks and fire boats at the centre of a procurement scandal until the legal dispute over their purchase is settled by an international arbitrator.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is still working to cancel the purchase of fire trucks and fire boats made by Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeug AG, an Austrian firm.
The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions last week handed jail terms to former deputy interior minister Pracha Maleenont and the city's fire department chief Pol Maj Gen Athilak Tanchukiat.
"It is not the time to ask whether to use the fire trucks [and fire boats]," Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra said yesterday.
City Hall has asked the Geneva-based Court of Conciliation and Arbitration to cancel the contract with the firm so that "it will give back the money we paid".
"Other issues will be considered later," MR Sukhumbhand said.
Late Bangkok governor Samak Sundaravej signed the contract in 2004 to buy 315 fire trucks and 30 fire boats for about 6.6 billion baht.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission, however, found the purchase was overpriced and unusually benefited the Austrian firm.
The anti-graft body accused Mr Pracha, Pol Maj Gen Athilak Tanchukiat, former Bangkok governor Apirak Kosayodhin, former interior minister Pokin Polakul and former commerce minister Watana Muangsook of corruption in arranging the deal.
The Supreme Court found Mr Pracha and Pol Maj Gen Athilak guilty of malfeasance and gave them 12- and 10-year jail terms respectively, acquitting the others due to lack of evidence.
As for the fire trucks and fire boats, they are still at Laem Chabang port in Chon Buri and a warehouse in Nonthaburi's Sai Noi district.
There is growing concern that their condition is deteriorating.
MR Sukhumbhand said he cannot say exactly whether these fire trucks and boats are still useable.