Vasit to head panel to tackle BMA graft

       Former deputy police chief Vasit Dejkunjorn will lead a committee to tackle corruption involving City Hall projects, a Bangkok Metropolitan Administration source says.
       Pol Gen Vasit, who is renowned for his campaigns against corrupt police officers, will head an eight-member committee to take on a similar role to that of the National Anti-Corruption Commission.
       The new body, which has five other members not associated with the BMA,has been endorsed by Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra.
       The other outsiders besides Pol Gen Vasit are Juree Vichit-Vadakan, Tortrakul Yomnak, Jirawan Phakdibutr, Kittiwat Uchupalanant and Kanokkan Anukaensai, the source said.
       The other two are BMA Deputy Governor Thirachon Manomaipiboon and Charoenrat Chutikarn, head of the BMA's Civil Service Commission, the source said.
       Apart from investigating corruption and irregularities involving BMA projects,particularly procurement schemes, the committee will advise the governor on how to prevent and tackle graft, the source said.
       The establishment of the panel was introduced by MR Sukhumbhand in his attempts to restore the credibility of City Hall officials.
       Earlier, MR Sukhumbhand said the BMA was badly in need of its own corruption investigation body as several projects in the past have had to be screened by independent agencies.
       The source said the governor had no special cases for the new committee,which is expected to meet and lay down its framework soon.
       Former governor Apirak Kosayodhin had set up a similar panel to investigate graft at the BMA. However the committee's work was "not quite fruitful", the source said.
       It is believed the committee failed to do its job because most of the members were BMA officials.
       The BMA has been rocked by graft scandals with the fire boats and trucks purchase scheme among its high-profile cases.
       Its attempt to nullify the contract was foiled last month when the Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court denied an injunction to suspend the sixth and remaining payments to Austria-based supplier Steyr Co.
       The purchase deal, signed in 2004 by then Bangkok governor Samak Sundaravej, meant the BMA was obliged to buy the fire equipment once the letter of credit was opened.
       Mr Samak's successor, Apirak Kosayodhin, signed the letter when he became city governor.
       Mr Samak and Mr Apirak are among five politicians who have been indicted by the NACC over alleged irregularities involving the procurement.
       The others are former interior minister Pokin Polakul, former deputy interior minister Pracha Maleenont and former commerce minister Watana Muangsuk.