The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) is investigating a former director-general of the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (Gistda) in connection with personal use of an official vehicle, officials said on Thursday.
Anont Sanitwong na Ayutthaya was found to have claimed private travel expenses exceeding 250,000 baht despite using an agency car as his official vehicle, while he headed Gistda between 2013 and 2015, according to NACC secretary-general Niwatchai Kasemmongkol.
When Mr Anont took office in 2013, he put in a request to use an agency car for his personal use to Niramon Sripumin, then-director of the central administrative division at Gistda, said Mr Niwatchai.
Ms Niramon approved the request, and also reimbursed fuel costs, toll fees and other travel expenses throughout Mr Anont’s time as director. Between December 2013 and November 2015, the reimbursements totalled 254,685 baht, according to the NACC.
The requests were approved despite the fact that under Mr Anont’s employment contract, he was privy to benefits totalling 37,500 baht on top of his monthly salary of 150,000 baht, to go towards covering his travel expenses.
This meant that Mr Anont could not use any Gistda-owned vehicle as his official car as stated in the regulations of the Office of the Prime Minister relating to the use of government vehicles.
Mr Anont’s actions constituted a violation of the Act on Offences Committed by Officials of State Organisations or Agencies (1959) and the Organic Anti-Corruption Act (2018), Mr Niwatchai said.
The NACC will ask the Office of Attorney-General to file a case against Mr Anont and notify Gistda to demand compensation from Mr Anont, he said.
As for Ms Niramon, while the NACC said her actions did not constitute a criminal act, she would face disciplinary action, Mr Niwatchai said.
