The Thai military have summoned sub-district administrators in the northern province of Phitsanulok and others who joined a field trip to investigate on corruption allegations over a canal dredging project by the War Veteran Organisation for a talk.
Chaowalit Wichayasut, acting Secretary-General of Pheu Thai Party told media that the military on Wednesday, 11 May 2016, summoned the head and deputy head of the Sub-district Administration Office (SAO) of Hin Lad District in Phitsanulok, a village headman of Ban Hin Lad and other villagers for a discussion, the Thai News Agency reported.
The military summoned the three for a talk because earlier on 9 May, they joined a group of Pheu Thai and Democrat Party politicians on a field trip to monitor a project of the War Veteran Organisation of Thailand (WVOT), an organisation under the Defence Ministry, to dredge canals in Phitsanulok.
The trip was organisation because there haa been rumours about corruption allegations surrounding the canal dredging project.
Earlier, soldiers from the 3rd Region Military Base contacted Nakhon Machim, former member of the parliament (MP) from Phitsanulok, summoning him for a discussion for joining the trip. The MP will report the the military on 14 May.
Chaowalit pointed out that Pheu Thai Party is cooperating with the government to prevent corruption as the field trip was organised to gather information and evidence on the corruption allegations of the project for the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and the Ombudsman Office. Therefore, such military summon should not have happen.
“We urge the government to stop summoning villagers into military camps because they are not really involved in the field trip,” the Thai News Agency quoted Chaowalit as saying.
The Pheu Thai Party acting Secretary-General told media that the canal dredging project is not being proceeded by WVOT, but a private company which is against the resolution from the Finance Ministry that all the machines and labour required for the project must be from the WVOT. Therefore, the government should revoke the WVOT’s concession on the project.
He further said the local authorities in many provinces already received budget for the project.
Pheu Thai Party will gather evidence about corruption allegations on the project before submitting it to the NACC and Ombudsman Office, Chaowalit said.