A group of Kasetsart University researchers commissioned to produce gas masks for the army has filed a defamation complaint with police after an army research unit accused them of using a fake document in their research.
Weerachai Phuthawong, a chemistry professor at the university, and three other team members filed the complaint with the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) yesterday.
They said they went to see CSD investigators to show they have nothing to hide after Army Research and Development Office (Ardo) director, Saksit Chuasomboon, went to the CSD on March 9 and accused them of producing a fake document from an overseas institute certifying the standard of research it carried out on the masks.
The team decided to counter-sue Ardo for what it said was defamation. The researchers' lawyer, Peerapol Yospong-anant, yesterday dismissed the director's accusation against the team as groundless.
The certification paper was issued by a globally reputable institute in the Czech Republic. It is one of five institutes highly credited for conducting tests on gas masks, he said. Mr Peerapol also denied Ardo's claim that the research problem had incurred 150 million baht in damages.
He said the research team received 3.8 million baht in government funding to conduct the research on the masks to be manufactured for use by soldiers.
The 150 million baht was earmarked for producing the masks. Since the masks were only at the research stage and had not yet been produced, no damages were incurred.
The project would help the government save money by not importing foreign-made masks, priced at 20,000 baht apiece. If they were produced locally, the cost would be 8,000 baht per mask.
Mr Weearchai also rejected the Ardo director's allegation that the team did not design a prototype mask used in the research but bought one from overseas.
He said his research team made the prototype from scratch and tested it in a gas chamber.
Ardo meanwhile, yesterday stood by its allegation that the certification paper was fake.
The director said it was the office's duty was to make certain the masks, when produced, are up to standard.