PWO's Bt112-bn glove deal being probed for alleged corruption
A Bt112-billion deal for surgical gloves between the Public Warehouse Organisation (PWO) and a private company set up only two months ago, is being investigated for corruption.
Kriangsak Prateepvisut, who was appointed the new director of PWO on September 1, has examined the documents and found that the organisation had heavily invested in the rubber gloves while the administration was invited to clarify the situation.
Pol Colonel Roongroj Phuthiyawat, the director of the PWO's central administrative office, was transferred to the Office of Prime Minister after facing an embezzlement allegation.
The PWO reportedly closed the deal with Guardian Gloves Ltd on August 13 and the contract showed the name of Pol Colonel Roongroj Phuthiyawat as buyer.
The contract to buy 500 packs of nitro gloves at a total cost of Bt112.5 billion was a free on board deal, which would be ordered periodically for two years.
It also stated that the buyer had to pay a Bt2-billion advance to the seller within three days of the signing and the rest would be paid after the products were delivered.
The seller also had to provide a guarantee of Bt200 million within seven days of the contract signing, and the deal could be revoked if they did not follow the contract.
Both the buyer and the seller acknowledged the contract and agreed to sign their names.
The PWO board, however, cancelled the deal on Thursday saying that Roongroj had no authority to approve the deal as he was only acting PWO director in August and hence could not seal a deal valued at more than Bt50 million and therefore, the order was unlawful.
