Khon Kaen: Authorities are preparing to summon the chief of the provincial welfare centre over her alleged involvement in the falsification of receipts for welfare and state financial payments that were never made
The scandal came to light after university students working as interns at the centre complained about the alleged irregularities to the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).
The issue is being investigated by the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) which has met 90 villagers whose names were used on the receipts.
The villagers, who live in Khon Kaen's Wiang Kao district, told officials they had not received the money, said Thongsuk Naphon, a senior investigator attached to the PACC's Bureau of Suppression of Corruption.
Their accounts and other evidence are being gathered before authorities summon Khon Kaen welfare centre boss Phuangphayom Chitkhom for questioning, Mr Thongsuk said.
According to the students who attended job training at the centre last year, they were ordered by Ms Phuangphayom and senior officials to falsify receipts for 2,000 villagers totalling 6.9 million baht.
At least five people have so far been implicated in the scandal, PACC's assistant secretary-general Pol Lt Col Wannop Somchintanakul said earlier on Sunday.
The PACC has vowed to expand its probe to welfare centres in other provinces.
However, Panida Yospanya, one of the four interns from Maha Sarakham University, revealed yesterday she is "very afraid after making the complaint".
After the issue became public, both the Khon Kaen welfare centre chief and officials "kept on searching for me at my house and university", Ms Panida said, adding she had no idea about their motivation but this made her and her family feel unsafe.
Ms Panida, a community development major, said she and her friends had attended training at the centre to learn how to work for needy people.