OAG to probe BMA on fake street cameras deal

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OAG to probe BMA on fake street cameras deal
The Nation 2011-09-23

The fake surveillance cameras issue surrounding the two previous and incumbent Bangkok governors has now raised corruption and political questions, after the Office of Auditor General yesterday revealed suspicious contract conditions involving the existing camera units. The Pheu Thai Party, meanwhile, has repeated its vow of a criminal investigation.

Deputy OAG secretarygeneral Phisit Leelachirophas said a large number of real cameras installed by June last year were not operational. They had not been connected to an operation centre or even to power supply units a legal commitment the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration must impose on contractors and agencies it has failed to comply with.

The BMA claims it could not make the Metropolitan Electricity Authority feed the power to an unknown number of those units, which were purchased for Bt126 million. There has never been an update on the situation made to the OAG, Phisit said.

An OAG probe will be made into the deals and terms of reference for purchase of these units to determine whether the fakes were included in the deals but not mentioned in the contracts. "If that is the case, a wrongdoing was committed," he added.

National AntiCorruption Commission member Klanarong Janthik said news reports on the issue were being compiled and would be heard by the NACC board by September 27.

Pheu Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit said there was a sense of irregularity and corruption over the matter, and an inquiry was lodged with the Department of Special Investigation yesterday asking for an investigation.

Inquiries will also be made with the OAG and NACC on behalf of Pheu Thai, in addition to all relevant House and Senate committees, once evidence and documents were compiled. He said a few other issues against the BMA previous and current leadership would also be made public soon.

A motion was lodged yesterday during a House session questioning the value of a policy by incumbent Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra to install so many new units. Deputy Interior Minister Thanis Thienthong, who oversees the BMA, said the current government would install only real cameras and did not know about the previous government's policy over the issue.

Former Bangkok governor Aphirak Kosayodhin repeated an excuse that installing fake cameras among real units was widely practised and acceptable. He said there were many fake units installed in the deep South for security reasons during the first Thaksin Shinawatra government.

Of all 3,371 cameras installed during Sukhambhand's current term, at the initiative of Aphirak, there were 2,041 real units, Aphirak said, replying to the motion. Both Aphirak and Sukhumbhand are Democrat Party members.

Speaking after the House session, Democrat Party and opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said there were 7,000 fake cameras installed in the South, and PTP's playup of the issue was an attempt to confuse the public with allegations of corruption against his party. They were trying to distract the public from criticism against controversial policies such as the flat Bt300 daily minimum wage.

Traffic police in Bangkok are set to have smalllens cameras installed inside traffic policeman dummies, which are called "Sergeant Idle", to help detect traffic law violations, said Pol Maj General Phanu Kerdlarpphol, who is in charge of traffic direction in Bangkok.

The dummies with cameras installed, which utilise wireless signal connection, can be moved around and serve as mobile surveillance platforms, unlike those installed in fixed positions. He said the National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre is working on the first dummy. "This policy will be expanded with more cameraembedded dummies used, if it proves a success," he said.