Twenty-five city officials have been implicated in corruption in the procurement of overpriced and overrated fitness equipment for Bangkok fitness centres.
Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), Nathapong Disayabutra, told a press conference today that a disciplinary committee will be set up to investigate the allegations.
The panel will have 120 days to complete its probe, which can be extended by 60 days if necessary, he said.
He also said that the procurement of the fitness equipment, involving seven projects, was in breach of state bidding practices. For instance, the prices were inflated above market prices and the specifications were unnecessarily narrow.
The deputy permanent secretary also noted that the qualifications of the bidders specified in the Terms of Reference were tailored to limit the number of potential bidders, such as requiring them to submit details of at least four contracts they have signed with state agencies in the past two years, which is beyond the requirements set by the Finance Ministry.
Of the 25 officials implicated in the scandal, Nathapong said one of them had resigned, adding that the remaining 24 are not in the same department or unit, but are responsible for the procurement projects.
