OPINION

A web of lies

Re: "Actress bribe claim borne out by officers' confessions: source," (BP, Jan 31).

Apparently, the police wanted to pressure the Taiwanese actress by alleging she'd committed a crime in the first place. The police produced a number of CCTV shots that caught the actress holding a vaping device in other locations, while the actual clip taken by the police team at the checkpoint was deleted.

If Chuwit Kamolvisit had not intervened at the last minute by threatening to expose some solid evidence that had not been shown to the public, and should the Taiwanese actress have had no media support, the police could have easily established the case in their favour.

An ordinary citizen cannot feel safe when the law enforcers not only breach the law themselves but try to turn the case in their favour in order to save their house.

Sub engine slipups

Re: "Wuhan trip to clear engine doubts," (BP, Jan 30).

This article needs some comments as there are some errors, in my view.

1. Having checked the details of the various ships in service with the RTN (source Wikipedia), there are no ships using the MTU 396 diesel engines, as stated. Various ships are fitted with MTU engines but mainly type 20V1163 TB 83 diesel engines.

2. MTU GERMANY did refuse to sell the selected engine as they're not allowed to export any equipment that could be used for military purposes to China. This regulation should have been known to both contracting parties at the time of contract negotiations and when the contract was signed!

3. The comments attributed to Yutthapong Charasathian, deputy leader of the Pheu Thai Party, that a contract was signed for the supply of a submarine with no engines seem incredulous.

No party would sign a contract in such a way, and the debate regarding the engine issues clearly refutes that allegation.

The real question is related to why the change of engines.

When the award of the contract was announced, the RTN and the Ministry of Defence said a comprehensive study has been performed covering all available diesel-driven submarines (assume this covers Germany, France, Spain, China, plus others who build submarines under licence from original equipment manufacturers).

It was announced that the submarine from China best suited the needs of the RTN.

It is assumed this study covered all aspects of the performance of the submarine, including propulsion.

Question: why request a change to the propulsion system? Such a change would result in redesign work in the build of the submarine.

Subcontinent bias?

Re: "Get your facts straight," (PostBag, Jan 29).

Once again, Kuldeep Nagi's unabashed preferential bias for India is on full display.

He boosts India as being a model for doing everything right in the world while disparaging other countries for doing everything wrong.

Since India is his faultless model, it would seem that India is where he should live.