Thailand’s Public Health Minister resigns, takes responsibility for management flaws in ministry projects

BANGKOK, Dec 29 (TNA) – Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai announced his resignation Tuesday to take responsibility for ‘management flaws’ in his ministry’s projects under the Bt86 billion Thai Khemkhaeng (Strong Thailand) stimulus package.

Mr Witthaya told reporters after meeting with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva early Tuesday morning at Government House that no funds designated for ministry projects were held back, untransferred, from the projects, “not even a single baht,” so the public should not worry as no corruption had happened.

The minister said he did not want to be out of step with public feeling, and decided to resign from his post to take responsibility for ‘management flaws’ in ministry projects.

Mr Wittaya said he would submit his resignation letter to the prime minister on Wednesday with immediate effect. He asserted that during his one year of service as minister he performed his duties honestly.

However, Mr Witthaya said after resigning from the post, that he would remain on duty as a member of parliament. As for his deputy Manit Nop-amornbodi, who was mentioned in the investigation report, Mr Witthaya said it was up to Mr Manit as to whether he would resign or not.

The government-appointed committee investigating alleged corruption in ministry’s Bt86 billion procurement projects, said earlier that it found signs of irregularities in disbursements of the funds, and advised a review of all projects.

Dr Banlu Siripanich, former permanent secretary, heading the inquiry panel, told a news conference Monday that evidence, both documents and witness testimonies, showed a high probability that politicians and senior ministry officials were involved in unusual procurement of medical equipment under the Bt86 billion Thai Khemkhaeng (Strong Thailand) stimulus package.

Dr Banlu said the funding was mobilised to build facilities and buy medical equipment and also focused on urban areas instead of rural areas. The budget allocations for hospital construction were skewed in favour of some politicians’ selected constituencies.

Several procurement schemes for medical supplies were found to be not only overpriced but unnecessary, he said.

Dr Banlu said loopholes were possible because present and former public-health bureaucrats had failed to ensure transparency. The government budget was used inefficiently because of the negligence of senior ministry officials.

The former permanent secretary said Public Health Minister Witthaya could not avoid personal responsibility over these management flaws.

Meanwhile, Mr Manit, who has no involvement in the scheme, intervened to seek too high an allocation of funds to his own parliamentary constituency by exerting pressure on bureaucrats and is believed likely to be involved in the irregularities in an ambulance purchase project which was found to be overpriced.

Dr Banlu said the inquiry panel had advised the government to review the ministry’s plan, as well as further investigation of all involved government officials, both those who still working and retirees.

Politicians involved in the corruption should face action under the nine strict rules Mr Abhisit announced when he took office on how his ministers should conduct themselves. (TNA)