The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has indicted a former permanent secretary of the Ministry of Culture and more than 20 other individuals on suspicion of helping a firm win a 485-million-baht contract to supply ceremonial materials for royally sponsored funerals in 2020.
According to a source, the NACC on Friday revealed that it found grounds for criminal action against Kitsayapong Siri, former Culture Ministry permanent secretary, and his associates in assisting MR Corporation Ltd to secure a procurement contract for two projects under the national budget.
Over 20 other people were also implicated in the case, including high-ranking officials, members of the Terms of Reference Committee and Procurement Committee and private companies.
The case came to light after the Isara News Agency published its investigative report in 2021 regarding a newly established company being awarded two projects under the 2020 fiscal year.
The inquiry conducted between 2020 and 2021 showed MR Corporation had been granted procurement contracts to supply decorated urns, caskets and accessories for the royal sponsorship of funerals, with a budget of 479 billion baht, and 78 sets of ceremonial altars at 6.62 million baht.
The investigation also revealed that MR Corporation was registered as a company on Dec 25, 2019, one day after the office of the ministry's permanent secretary came up with a middle price for such procurements based on the biddings by three suppliers, one of them being the MR Corporation.
Following the media report, the NACC set up a probe committee to investigate the matter officially.
