Names of dead people used in scam
Dead people were found to be on a list of recipients of financial assistance provided by a Khon Kaen welfare centre which has been accused of embezzling state funds for the underprivileged, the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) says.
The PACC officials were yesterday sent to the Khon Kaen Protection for the Destitute, an agency that helps underprivileged and HIV patients under supervision of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, to find information about the alleged embezzlement.
The officers also sought the agency’s permission to obtain related documents and its cooperation throughout the PACC’s probe process.
Thongsuk Na Pol, an i nvestigator attached to the Office of Anti-Corruption in Public Sector Area 4, held talks with Ittipat Rojjaturanon, an acting director of the centre. Reporters were banned from attending the meeting.
Mr Thongsuk said he was earlier informed that the centre would disburse 2,000 baht each to 30 low-income earners in tambon Ban Da of Muang district so his team came to inspect the process, but the event was subsequently suspended.
The centre will set up a new team to deal with the task of handing out money directly to eligible people in their areas, he said.
The PACC also demanded the centre send welfare payment records in the 2016, 2017 and 2018 fiscal years to the anti-graft body for inspection, Mr Thongsuk said.
In the 2016 and 2017 fiscal years, a combined 6.9 million baht had been allocated to the centre for money distribution, while in the current fiscal year, 1.7 million baht has been handed out by the centre, he said.
Giving an example of the irregularities in money distribution, the PACC found 30 people in tambon Ban Ped in Muang district are eligible to get the financial assistance under the programme in this fiscal year.
However, some of the recipients are not qualified to receive the assistance, Mr Thongsuk said.
Among more than 250 names listed to receive a 2,000-baht payment in the tambon in the 2017 fiscal year, some of the names were those of dead people, he said.