Fire trucks deal heads back to court
A case concerning former Bangkok governor Apirak Kosayodhin’s petition against City Hall’s order for him to pay hefty compensation for alleged malfeasance in connection with the 2004 fire truck and boat procurement saga goes before the Supreme Administrative Court on Thursday.
Mr Apirak in 2014 filed a legal suit with the lower administrative court against the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), the Bangkok governor and the interior minister, accusing them of malfeasance for forcing him to pay the compensation to the BMA. Earlier, the Interior Ministry rejected his appeal against the BMA order dated on Nov 24, 2010, and issued by the Bangkok governor instructing him to pay 1.29 billion baht in compensation to the BMA over the matter.
The court agreed to nullify the compensation payment order, but the three parties have decided to appeal against that ruling to the Supreme Administrative Court. They insist that Mr Apirak as then Bangkok governor should be held responsible for failing to ensure proper inspection of the procurement deal for the fire trucks, boats and other equipment, which resulted in damages to the three parties.
On Jun 6, the Supreme Administrative Court ruled that former interior minister Bhokin Bhalakula does not have to pay 1.4 billion baht in compensation for his alleged misconduct in the 2004 fire truck and boat deal. The BMA had previously ordered him to pay compensation for the 6.7-billionbaht deal.
The deal between the BMA and SteyrDaimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeug (Steyr) involved the procurement of 315 firefighting trucks and 30 boats in exchange for boiled Thai chicken. The contract was signed in August 2004 by former Bangkok governor Samak Sundaravej. Under the contract, the Austrian firm would supply 315 fire trucks and 30 fire-fighting boats, and buy boiled chicken from Thailand under a barter deal.
However, claims arose that the trucks were overpriced as they were produced in Thailand and exported to Britain to put in the fire-fighting equipment and then shipped back to Thailand. The boats also were built by a Thai firm on hire, while the boiled chicken never reached Austria.