An investigation into an expensive sound system purchased for the Government House will be undertaken by the Office of the Auditor-General after sticker-shock over the equipment’s price prompted scrutiny and cast a shadow over the newly appointed cabinet.
The Bangkok Post reports:
The Office of the Auditor-General (OAG) is launching a full investigation into the case involving the procurement of high-priced microphones for Government House, an OAG source says.
The source told the Bangkok Post on Wednesday that OAG officials had already examined evidence at agencies involved in the project to procure and install electronic equipment for meeting rooms at Government House.
The agencies include the Secretariat of the Prime Minister, the Department of Public Works and Town and Country Planning, a committee overseeing the median prices, and those who approved payments for equipment, the source said, adding that other agencies later found to be involved in the project will also be investigated by the OAG.
The investigation will go forward despite Wednesday’s announcement that purchasers had gone back, after the installation, to renegotiate a lower-price with the manufacturer.
In the face of the new military administration’s emphasis on stamping out corruption, the issue has drawn an outcry for its appearance of possible impropriety.
Now, no one seems certain just what the price should be for a Bosch DCN multimedia device, which has a small screen and runs on the Android operating system.
Officials had originally bragged about the quality of microphones and indicated a cost of THB145,000.
The manufacturer quietly bumped up the listed price on its website for the from THB99,000 to 199,000 after outcry erupted. A representative of Asavasopon Co. insisted yesterday the correct price really was THB145,000 baht and the renegotiated price of THB94,250 was arrived at after seeking approval for a discount from Bosch Thailand.
Some websites reportedly list the unit at the equivalent of about THB55,000.
Monthon Sudprasert, director-general of the Public Works and Town and Country Planning Department, said Wednesday they’d been purchased under an exceptional process under which the equipment was delivered and installed before a price had been agreed to. Truly exceptional.
