School head bribe accused gets chop

The Bangkok provincial education committee yesterday fired

Viroj Samruan from the civil service, effective immediately, for taking a bribe while director of Samsenwittayalai School.

The decision means he will lose all pensions and welfare benefits. Education permanent secretary Karun Sakulpradit, the committee chairman, said

Mr Viroj was hit with the harshest disciplinary punishment for having demanded and taken 400,000 baht in exchange for admitting a student to Mathayom 1 (grade 7) at the school in the 2017 academic year.

The committee’s decision was unanimous with all six voting in favour of dismissal. Consequently, Mr Viroj will not receive any benefits from the state, including a pension, Mr Karun said. The committee members agreed that Mr Viroj was guilty of gross misconduct so must be fired to set an example to those who might be involved in wrongdoing and malfeasance.

The decision also complied with a 1993 cabinet resolution which says those who abuse their authority must be dismissed without previous good deeds easing punishments, according to Mr Karun. He said two more school officials were also under investigation for alleged bribery. The findings would be handed to the Bangkok provincial education committee.

The school made headlines last June after a parent circulated a video clip showing Mr Viroj demanding 400,000 baht in “tea money”, a euphemism for a bribe, from him in exchange for enrolling his child in Mathayom 1 at the school.

The parent reportedly recorded each conversation with the school director, including phone calls and the handover of the purported bribe. The director was said to have had his deputy accept the cash on his behalf.

Mr Viroj insisted he never took the money and was being blackmailed by a group of school alumni upset over their children not being able gain admission to the school. He also claimed the video showing the payment had been doctored to defame him.

After the clip spread online, the Office of the Basic Education Commission set up a committee to look into the claims.