Pol Gen Somyot Poompunmuang, former head of the Football Association of Thailand (FAT), owes the public a clear explanation regarding accusations levelled against him by the executive board of the national football body.
His public responses so far, which include a letter to the FAT requesting clarification about claims made by the incumbent president Nualphan Lamsam concerning his alleged 32-million-baht salary, along with his withholding tax records and donation receipts, barely scratch the surface of the serious accusations he faces.
Early last week, Ms Nualphan revealed at a press conference the FAT’s executive board had approved the decision to file a lawsuit against Pol Gen Somyot and his executive team for alleged mismanagement causing financial damage.
During his two terms spanning eight years before Ms Nualphan took over in February last year, decisions were made that have placed the organisation in financial peril.
At the centre of the lawsuit is the 360-million-baht compensation plus interest that the FAT was ordered by the Supreme Court on March 6 to pay Siam Sport Syndicate Plc for the “unfair” termination of privileges and a TV rights contract — a termination executed by Pol Gen Somyot in 2016.
The allegations extend beyond the costly legal defeat, however. Ms Nualphan highlighted several troubling financial matters, including the 32-million-baht salary which Pol Gen Somyot insisted was donated back to the organisation — donations for which no evidence has been found, according to Ms Nualphan.
She also questioned a 30-million-baht payment in legal fees for the Siam Sport case — an astonishing figure 100 times higher than the 300,000 baht the FAT had apparently agreed to.
Probably most alarming is the state of the FAT’s finances after Pol Gen Somyot left the office: a mere 27 million baht remained in its account, weighed down by 132 million baht in debt. Apart from that, the association borrowed 155 million baht from Fifa, which must be repaid through annual deductions from Fifa’s support funding to the FAT over a period of 10 years.
With the compensation owed to Siam Sport potentially reaching 500 million baht plus interest, the FAT finds itself in a financial straitjacket. This dire situation has pushed dreams of elevating Thai football to international standards, while raising the hope of Thai athletes, even further from reach.
While it is clear Ms Nualphan raised these issues to foster public understanding of the challenges she inherited as the first-ever woman president of the national football association, these questions demand proper answers.
A former police chief, Pol Gen Somyot came to the FAT with bold promises to eliminate “corruption” and “catch thieves”.
The lawsuit and allegations against him now cast a shadow not just over his legacy but his overall integrity. Although the former FAT chief claimed to be unworried about the lawsuit and ready to defend himself, his public statements have been notably sparse and inadequate.
On the termination of the Siam Sport Syndicate contract, he offered only seemingly irrelevant details, saying the cancellation concerned only the syndicate’s right to take care of the FAT’s benefits and privileges, not broadcast rights for Thai League matches, from which the football association continues to earn revenue. As for the 155-million-baht debt the FAT owed to Fifa, his explanation was equally vague, saying merely the money was spent on the FAT’s “operations and aid.”
Since the allegations against Pol Gen Somyot stem from a probe by an audit committee established by the FAT’s current board, it is only fitting for the former chief to set the record straight with facts and evidence, not unsubstantiated claims.
His letter requesting information from the FAT regarding his salary, withholding tax and donation receipts appears to be little more than a thinly veiled distraction. If Pol Gen Somyot is truly ready to defend himself against the allegations as he claimed, he should come forward and share his version of events with the public.
As a former top officer at the national police force and head of the football association — the governing body of arguably the most popular sport in the country — Pol Gen Somyot must set an example in terms of transparency and accountability.
His reluctance to provide comprehensive explanations of these serious allegations is deeply troubling. The public deserves more than evasive responses and partial truths.
As the legal battle unfolds, it is imperative all parties provide full disclosure — but particularly the former president, whose decisions have allegedly left the country’s football and the hope of millions who love the sport with an uncertain future.