Probe on school futsal pitches

Authorities have begun serious investigation into the construction of futsal pitches at 358 schools amid suspicion the work was mired with irregularities. 

A team from the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) had found some schools were left with no futsal pitches at all – just an expanse of concrete, Auditor-General Pisit Leelavachiropas yesterday said. 

“This is a blatant abuse of state budget,” he said. 

The futsal project covers 358 schools in 17 northern and northeastern provinces.

The Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) said the project had budget of Bt680 million. After its implementation, Obec also heard claims of alleged irregularities. 

Obec secretary-general Kamol Rodklai yesterday said he had already set up a committee to look into the futsal project.

“We will share information with the Office of Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC),” he said. 

The PACC met yesterday with the OAG, the Department of Special Investigation and Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) to discuss the futsal case. 

Some schools have refused to accept their futsal pitches after finding the facilities were not in line with specifications. 

“Construction contracts have clearly been violated,” Pisit said. He also suspected some officials were involved in abuse of authority. 

PACC secretary-general Prayong Preeyachitt said agencies would look deeper into the case to determine who should be held responsible. 

“As for the PACC, we will focus on suspicious officials,” he said. 

He said the OAG would examine budget disbursement while Amlo would check the flow of money related to the futsal-pitch construction. 

“The DSI, meanwhile, will focus its investigation on areas related to private entities,” Prayong said. 

According to the OAG, just three firms bid to build the futsal pitches. The successful bid price was Bt500 lower than the standard price. 

“Information reveals that some board members of the winning firm sit on the board of the other two firms,” a senior OAG official said. 

Ban Don Chomphu School director Bamrung Lohakarok said the pitch construction took just two months in 2012 and when the work was completed, the pitch looked fine.

“We used it and even shared it with local communities,” he recounted. 

However, he said tiles on the pitch started to bend and disintegrated soon after. 

“Now, we can’t use the pitch anymore,” he said.

Bamrung said he and teachers at his school were definitely not involved in corruption even though they gave their signatures to accept the pitch.

“At that time, we only thought about getting the pitch so that our students could use it. We didn’t know that the pitch had problems,” he said.