Suspended governor gears for probes after Korea trip

Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra has returned from a working visit to Seoul, saying he will comply with the order suspending him from duty.

He is ready for any investigations into his alleged misconduct, according to his spokesman.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, in his capacity as chief of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), on Thursday issued an order under Section 44 of the interim charter to immediately suspend MR Sukhumbhand.

One key reason cited was the need to ensure fairness in investigations into allegations pressed against MR Sukhumbhand.

Th governor faces probes into alleged misconduct in several cases including a 16.5-million-baht office renovation, alleged budget misspending and collusion in a 39.5-million-baht light show, the 22.9-million-baht CCTV procurement, alleged collusion in the BTS skytrain 13-year contract extension and alleged lack of transparency in the procurement of musical instruments worth 1.3 billion baht.

The allegations are being probed by several agencies, including the Office of the Auditor-General, the National AntiCorruption Commission and the Department of Special Investigation.

Rather than immediately return from the South Korean trip, MR Sukhumbhand opted to come back at the end of the itinerary, despite the fact Korean authorities cancelled some functions following the suspension order.

Mr Wasan said MR Sukhumbhand decided to meet the cost of his own “personal spending” while in Seoul, to avoid any possible complaints at home.

He said deputy Bangkok governor Pusadee Tamthai is serving as acting Bangkok governor.

Former Democrat Party MP Watchara Petchthong, meanwhile, reiterated the party’s decision to sever its relationship with MR Sukhumbhand after he refused to respond to the party’s requests to deal with key problems facing Bangkok residents.

MR Sukhumbhand had also refused to attend the party’s meetings even though he won the election under the party’s banner, said Mr Wachara, adding MR Sukhumbhand tended to think he won the election through his own popularity.