Graftbusters target Ubonrat funds ‘scam’

KHON KAEN: The Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) has begun gathering facts about alleged irregularities in state funds dispensed to the Ubonrat dam self-help settlement centre and expects to finish its initial probe in seven days.

PACC secretary-general Kornthip Daroj yesterday said the fact-finding team was collecting information on last year’s budget disbursement of state funds to help the poor. The team suspects malpractice in the payment of funds to low-income earners and the underprivileged in the self-help centre in three districts.

The three districts are Ubon Ratana, Nam Phong and Khao Suan Kwang.

A budget worth 11.7 million baht was allotted to the settlement which houses a total of 104,831 residents in 28,962 households under the supervision of the Department of Social Development and Welfare.

The department is under the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security.

Lt Col Kornthip said a sub-panel to probe the issue would also be set up if the fact-finding team found state authorities were embroiled in the alleged irregularities.

According to the fact-finding team which inspected five villages in two tambons, Lt Col Kornthip said several issues relating to the alleged irregularities involving the funds have been found.

In 2016-2017, community leaders urged villagers to sign forms as part of a survey of people who needed help from the state. The amount of money and other relevant information was not detailed in the document.

House registrations and copies of ID cards were also taken from villagers. The documents were later handed to local officials at the self-help settlement centre.

Lt Col Kornthip said the investigation indicated that several residents did not receive money although their names had been repeatedly used claim state benefits. Other locals had also only receive small fractions of the amounts for which they their details had been used to claim for.

Several recipients were not low-income earners and included local administrative officials such as village chiefs, authorities of tambon administrative organisations and community volunteers.

Officials of the self-help settlement told residents to tell PACC officials they received full amounts of money, added Lt Col Kornthip.

Around three million baht was disbursed to people in the community in November, 2016, but the amount dropped to only 6,000 baht in July last year.

In addition, money was found not to have been paid to individual members of a local sedge mat weaving group.