THE NATIONAL Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has found three current or former government officials guilty of embezzling state subsidies for temples.

The guilty are the National Buddhism Office (NOB)’s former directors Phanom Sornsilp and Nopparat Benjawatananan, and former deputy director Pranom Kongpikul.

“The NACC has resolved that Phanom, Nopparat and Pranom violated Articles 147, 151 and 157 of the Criminal Code,” NACC deputy secretary-general Warawit Sukboon said yesterday.

He said they also committed grave disciplinary offences, as they were involved in corruption.

Warawit said Nopparat’s close aide Chompunut Chanluechai – who is not a state official – was also found to have been an accomplice and was guilty of supporting government officials’ wrongdoing.

Warawit said that in 2014, Pranom – who at that time served as the head of the National Buddhism Office’s Buddhist Monastery Division – contacted Phanan Choeng Temple saying that her office would provide Bt10 million in state subsidies to the temple on the condition that it agreed to return Bt8 million.

“Pranom told the temple the office needed that part of money back to cover expenses for activities that could not be reimbursed,” Warawit said.

He said that after the temple made the promise, Nopparat approved the Bt10-million budget.

“Unlike normal cases, the budget given to Phanan Choeng Temple does not have a request for budget from the temple,” he pointed out.

The investigation by the NACC shows that the temple transferred Bt8 million to the bank account of Chompunut.

Warawit said Pranom also contacted Phanan Choeng Temple again in 2015 with a similar suggestion but this time asking the temple to hand over Bt5 million cash to her.

“The NACC has offered the accused opportunities to explain themselves but we have found solid evidence that they worked as a network to perpetuate the offence,” he said.

In February, the National Council for Peace and Order removed Phanom from the helm of the National Buddhism Office via Article 44 of the interim constitution.

In September, officials raided Phanom’s home and discovered gold bars weighing about 1.2 kilograms. A source said Phanom’s assets must have been worth more than Bt100 million.

Nopparat left Thailand for the United States before authorities started seriously investigating. Nopparat and Phanom have denied wrongdoing.

Banchang police commander Jakkarin Tuasuparb said yesterday that Pol Lieutenant Nikom Pan-iam was very upset about the accident and has accepted full responsibility.

Nikom was providing security at Siam Commercial Bank’s Banchang branch on Sukhumvit Road at about 9am when the incident happened.

He was removing his gun before going to a toilet at the back of the bank. The gun fired when it accidentally fell on the floor.

The bullet went through a wall and hit Chanetthip Pusuwan, a bank staff on the shoulder and Thanet Nuansri, a customer, on the body.

Both were rushed to a nearby hospital. Their conditions are considered stable.

Jakkarin said that forensic officials have already collected evidence and talked to witnesses at the bank. It appeared that the incident was accidental but as it caused injuries to people Nikom will be charged with negligence that caused serious injuries.

The penalty is a jail term of not more than three years.

The provincial police chief plans to visit the injured in hospital on Wednesday. Nikom’s family has been instructed to keep a close eye on him as he was seriously upset.

Nikom had reportedly worked in the area for a long time and was considered to be a hard-working police officer.

The Academics and People Network for Human Rights and Natural Resources Protection handed in a petition to the Cabinet and the prime minister at Government House on Tuesday, requesting reconsideration of the 20-year minerals management strategy and minerals management masterplan, which have already been approved by national minerals management policy committee and passed on to the Cabinet for consideration.

The petition – signed by 88 persons – highlights that the strategy and master plan are unlawful, lack proper public participation, and intentionally provide too much benefit for the mining companies, with the group warning that the overall plan would cause major damage to the people and the country if implemented.

According to the petition, these plans violate Articles 16 and 17 of the Minerals Act that require a database and survey of potential mining areas, which includes public participation, before drafting a master plan.

Moreover, the group points out that the draft plan also contains exceptions enabling the mining companies to not have to follow Articles 188 and 189 of the Act, with the exemption allowing them to open a mine without designating a buffer zone.

The petition also warns that when combining the minerals management masterplans with the new Enhancement and Conservation of National Environmental Quality Bill, mine operators would be allowed to skip many necessary procedures, including environmental impact assessment and public participation for opening or expanding a mine, and that this would increase conflict in society and harm the interests of the people and the nation.

Supitcha Tanyakan, the elder sister of Phakhapong “Meay” Tanyakan, said she still had faith in the country’s judicial system. She was speaking as her parents stood by her side at Muang Nakhon Nayok Police Station.

The Tanyakans have asked for a full and transparent probe into Phakhapong’s death, as they suspect he might have died as a result of excessive corporal punishment prescribed at the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School (AFAPS).

Phakhapong, a first-year student at the AFAPS, almost died in August because of penalties more senior students imposed on him.

He was also subject to penalties on the day preceding his death on October 17.

Adul also instructed all SSO area offices to check on payments and hunt for any more embezzlers, and review measures against such wrongdoing in the future.

Adul told reporters at Government House on Tuesday that he had given urgent instructions with four points: to fire the official, to implement remedial measures for the victims, to proceed with both disciplinary and criminal actions against the wrongdoer, and to check if anyone else was involved.

“The embezzled money [Bt10,000 in the first instance] isn’t much, but we must proceed actions against the wrongdoer because this kind of problem must be solved,” he said.

During the Monday meeting of ministerial executives, including SSO secretary-general Dr Suradech Waleeithikul, Adul said the embezzlement case had severely tarnished the organisation’s reputation.

Officials have urged people with suspicions of embezzlement to file complaints to PO Box 1, Din Daeng Post Office, Bangkok 10400 or call the 1506 hotline.

Suradech said the SSO had started the disciplinary and criminal-code actions against the official and would soon issue measures to prevent a reoccurrence.

Deputy Permanent Secretary for Labour and ministry spokesperson Petcharat Sinauy said Adul asked the SSO to review the whole system to prevent loopholes for wrongdoings, and instructed Petcharat and the SSO to explain the case to the public to boost confidence in the agency.

The move followed a complaint by a Labour Ministry official that her elderly husband had been insured under the SSO Act’s Section 40 but resigned from the scheme in August last year and never got back the Bt10,000 he had contributed.

The official plaintiff said she was told that the money would be sent via Thananat money order. She didn’t follow through when the money hadn’t arrived within 90 days, as she assumed there was some delay. Two weeks ago, she finally asked about progress in the matter and was given the money order number.

She then learned from a post office that someone had withdrawn the money on August 18, 2016. The money, which was supposed to be sent to the Lak Si Post Office somehow ended up at the Din Daeng Post Office.

She brought the case to the SSO Bangkok Area 3 (Din Daeng) Office director’s attention and an inquiry at the office pointed at the official, who then broke into tears and confessed to stealing the money. The official also reportedly confessed to having committed similar crimes against at least three others.

The source said on Tuesday that one suspect owned the petrol shop where the attackers were believed to have assembled and the other was a woman who allegedly brought them a change of clothing.

No one was injured in the attack in Yala’s Bannang Sata district. The gang ordered the driver and all passengers off the bus before setting it alight.

Yala police chief Pol Major General Kritsada Kaewchandee meanwhile said he suspected that leaflets found in Bannang Sata on Monday evening – demanding a “protection fee” from public-transport operators using Highway 410 (Yala-Betong Road) – were the work of “opportunists”.

Police examining the leaflets printed in Thai and allegedly signed “Fatoni warriors” had collected DNA samples capable of identifying the makers, Kritsada said.

He said police, soldiers and administrative officials would beef up security ahead of and during New Year celebrations.

For taxi drivers in the Talad Seri area in urban Nakhon Yala, it was business as usual on Tuesday. Several who were interviewed said they’d heard nothing about the leaflets.

Cab driver Budiman Jehtahe said he and about 40 others would keep working. They’d been doing this for more than 20 years and lots of people still needed to get to Betong.

“I’m confident about travelling on that route,” he said of the road where the coach was torched. “The authorities are keeping it secure. Some spots are rather isolated, though, so they should be paying more attention there.”

The court convicted Herbert Craig La Fon, 64, on seven charges. He was initially sentenced to life imprisonment but the sentence was commuted by one third because he provided useful information during his interrogation.

The court acquitted two other American defendants, James Douglas Eger, 67, and Aaron Thomas Gabel, 34, but ordered them to be remanded pending a decision by authorities whether to appeal their acquittal.

Initially, the court sentenced La Fon to life imprisonment for attempted murder of police officers, two years for concealing a body, four years for having and selling forged passports, seven years and a fine of Bt450,000 for having crystal meth for sale, three months for having marijuana in his possession, one year and six months for having ketamine in his possession and one year for having an illegal gun and ammunition in his possession. All the sentences were reduced by one third.

The rulings against the three defendants were read on Friday.

Prosecutors said the three men were found at a building on September 23, 2016, to jointly have in their possession a gun and ammunition, 4.522 grammes of crystal meth, a small bag of marijuana, and one small bottle of ketamine.

They were also charged with having forged passports in their possession with the intent to sell – three were French and one was American.

Prosecutors also said the three had collaborated to mutilate the body of Charles Edward Ditlefsen – a US citizen of Hungarian descent – and initially concealed the body in a refrigerator in a house on Soi Ekkamai 12.

They later moved the refrigerator to a commercial building on Soi Sukhumvi 56, prosecutors said.

Public said the body was concealed from late October, 2008, to late January, 2016.

The court was told that La Fon entered Thailand in early January, 2008, and did not pass through the immigration process.

The suit stated that when Phra Khanong police went to the commercial building to arrest the three, La Fon used his 9mm pistol to fire at a police officer and severely injured him. He also fought with two other officers and slightly injured them.

The three defendants pleaded not guilty when their charges were filed.

The court said in its verdict that it believed the police account of the raid on the commercial building on September 23, 2016. The three defendants were arrested following information given by an American, Donald Kramer, who was arrested on September 15, 2016, for using a forged passport.

Kramer told police he bought the passport at the building where La Fon lived.

The court was told that during the raid, three western men and a Myanmar couple were found while La Fon was on the fourth floor.

La Fon injured three policemen while resisting arrest and police later found the concealed body, drugs and forged passports.

The court ruled that La Fon’s account that he knew nothing about the concealed body was unreasonable because he admitted that he had the refrigerator moved from his house to the building.

Although police found 52 visa rubber stamps in La Fon’s room, prosecutors and police failed to prove that he made them so a charge of making fake visa rubber stamps was dismissed, the court ruled.

La Fon was convicted in Article 269/8 and Article 269/9 of the Criminal Code for having forged passports in his possession.

Charges against the two other defendants that they assisted in concealing the body were dropped as prosecutors and police failed to prove they helped La Fon. Their fingerprints were not found on the refrigerator.

The court said there was also no evidences to substantiate charges that the two other defendants knew about the forged passports, illegal firearms and drugs.

Social organisations led by the Labour Rights Promotion Network (LPN) and the Fish Marketing Organisation, yesterday announced the opening of Fishermen Centre at Samut Sakhon fish market in a new approach to solve the chronic problems of slave labour, child labour and human trafficking in the fishing industry.

The centre has two additional offices located in Rayong’s Muang District and Trat’s Klong Yai District.

The centre is to be operated by the public sector with the involvement of migrant workers and the business sector. Its mandate includes promoting the understanding of relevant laws and workers’ rights affecting the fishing industry and empowering workers to prevent rights violations and personal abuse.

LPN director Sompong Srakaew said that the idea behind the opening of Fishermen Centre was new, as all key stakeholders on fisheries workers’ issues were participating with the same goal – to ensure protection of workers’ rights and end human trafficking. In the past, the organisations addressed the issues separately.

Sompong noted the chronic problems of slave labour, child labour and human trafficking have heavily damaged the country’s reputation and resulted in a low ranking in the United States’ Trafficking in Persons Report and the European Union’s illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) Fishing listing.

He emphasised that the workers’ lack of knowledge and understanding about the law and their rights has exacerbated the problem. Moreover, many workers in the fishing industry, regardless of nationality, have lacked access to justice and a system of rights protection because there was no central agency to receive, deal and support them with their problems.

“From now, if any workers faced any problem, they can notify the centre to get the rights protection and legal assistance,” Sompong said.

“The centre also works proactively by recruiting the migrant worker volunteers to monitor any problem in their workplace and community, while the centre also works with business operators to support the workers’ rights protection.”

Samut Sakhon Social Development and Human Security Office director Jintana Chanbamrung said that the authorities are serious about tackling human trafficking and ensuring the worker rights are protected. She said opening the Fishermen Centre would significantly support the effort to eradicate human trafficking.

In the bigger picture of migrant-worker problems, LPN deputy committee chairman Surapong Kongchantuk said that the government’s policies and negative stance on migrant workers still hindered efforts to solve the longstanding problems.

Defence Ministry spokesman Lt-General Kongcheep Tantrawanich yesterday disclosed conclusions from a meeting of the fifth administration reform steering committee, headed by Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, approving measures to help fishermen who have been affected by efforts to tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Kongcheep said Prawit had ordered relief measures to be implemented as soon as possible as a “New Year’s present” for fishermen, with the measures to begin on December 27.

The first measure is to buy 1,900 unused fishing vessels in line with a suggestion from the Thai Fisheries Association, Kongcheep said, adding that the issue would be passed on to the Cabinet, which would have to allocate a budget.

He said the policy would decrease the number of fishing vessels, which combined with licence restrictions would help to protect marine natural resources.

The development fund for affected fishermen would come from Bt130 million in fishing vessel registration fees over the past two years and Bt650 million in low-interest loans that would be provided by the Government Savings Bank.

“General Prawit emphasised that every agency must work together to solve IUU fishing problems to enable the European Union to improve our country’s ranking … otherwise our fishing industry, which is worth more than Bt100 billion, will suffer severe damage,” Kongcheep said.

Thai Fisheries Association chairman Mongkol Sukcharoenkana said he was delighted that the government had listened to the industry’s pleas.

Mongkol said the measures could relieve the burden imposed on fishermen under the tight new regulations to tackle IUU fishing.

“This is a very good sign that the government is listening to us and is sincere in wanting to solve the problems within the fisheries sector,” he said.

“The plan to buy unused fishing vessels will not only relieve the financial burden on fishermen, but it will also lower the size of the Thai fishing fleet to meet with the capacity of the sea and help us to achieve sustainable fishing.

“Meanwhile, the fisheries development fund will help our fishing industry adapt to the new standards and improve our technology so we can abandon the use of destructive fishing techniques.”

However, Mongkol said there were still some issues that the fisheries sector would like the government to consider – including revising penalties prescribed under the new legislation.

“We would like to ask the government to consider the amendment of related laws, especially the new Fisheries Act, which contains many strict regulations. Many fishermen do not understand or acknowledge the new, tougher laws, so they unintentionally violate the law and are subject to heavy penalties,” he said.

“It would be great if the government talks with the fisheries sector about the problems with the law and uses its special powers under Article 44 of the interim charter to avert the enforcement of some regulations.”

THE FOURTH Army regional commander has recommended the removal of village headmen and local security personnel who claimed they were unaware of violence on Sunday, including the torching of a passenger coach, even though it happened in their jurisdiction.

Lt-General Piyawat Narkwanich said yesterday Army officials as well as village volunteers assigned to provide security for areas in Yala’s Bannang Sata district should also face immediate investigation to determine whether their negligence had led to the violence. He said he would recommend serious penalties if they are found guilty.

The general was referring to an incident in which a double-decker bus from Yala’s Betong district heading to Bangkok was stopped by a group of heavily armed militants on a road in Ban Kasode Village. The militants ordered the passengers and the driver out of the vehicle before pouring petrol on the bus and setting it alight.

The militants also built roadblocks, burned tyres and deployed spikes to prevent officials from pursuing them.

“How can a village headman claim that he did not know about the torching despite the fact that it happened in his jurisdiction? He and his deputy should be dismissed,” he said. Meanwhile, a source on the investigation team revealed that a suspect detained in connection with Sunday’s attack had given what the source described as “useful information” about the incident.

Witnesses told investigators that the militants were dressed in camouflage clothes, along with hoods and bulletproof vests, according to the source.

Deputy national police commissioner Pol General Srivara Rangsibhramanakul said the investigation had found that the violence was the work of militants operating in the area.

The attack aimed to create fear but not claim lives, he said, refusing to comment further. Piyawat also would not discuss the cause of the incident. He said he had ordered officials to collect evidence and gather information from witnesses, particularly bus driver Abdulloh Sawaeba-ngor and the attendant.

The bus had been previously damaged by a 2014 bomb explosion, Piyawat said, adding that information from the driver and the passengers would be checked against each other and other residents were also being interviewed.

“Three to four villagers have been invited to meet officials, particularly the owners of a house where the militants cut trees to set up roadblocks,” said Piyawat. “It is not possible that a roadside petrol vendor in the area knew nothing about the incident.”

Betong district has been recognised as a tourist attraction. Tourist traffic has brought about benefits and businesses, Piyawat said, as well as conflicts concerning transport concessions and investment from outside.