DSI: 70 officials tied to SAO building bid-rigging
The DSI has uncovered evidence linking more than 70 state officials to alleged bid-rigging in the construction of the new State Audit Office building. The case has now been handed over to the NACC for further investigation.
Pol Capt Surawut Rangsaith, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), provided an update on the progress of the investigation into alleged irregularities related to the construction of the new State Audit Office headquarters.
The special investigation team has extended its probe to examine three key contracts—namely, the construction contract, the design contract, and the project supervision contract—under suspicion of violating the 1999 Act on Offences Relating to the Submission of Bids to State Agencies, widely known as the Bid-Rigging Act.
Authorities have gathered substantial evidence indicating the involvement of high-ranking officials within the State Audit Office. As a result, all findings and supporting documentation have been forwarded to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) for further fact-finding investigations.
Surawut noted that although he personally believed further investigation might still be necessary to strengthen the case, a consensus was reached during a meeting on 22 March, in which the investigative team agreed to submit the case to the DSI Director-General. Given that the allegations involve state officials, including those holding positions in an independent public agency, the case falls under the jurisdiction of the NACC for further inquiry, in line with formal complaints received.
Initial witness testimony from two individuals confirmed detailed knowledge of the irregularities. They provided supporting statements and documents that point to corruption, manipulation of technical specifications, and other misconduct in securing the contracts.
Based on preliminary findings, the implicated state officials can be classified into three main groups:
Executives of the independent agency (specific names withheld), comprising a considerable number of individuals.
Members of 10 related committees, including three each for design, construction, and supervision, and one additional committee.
One committee is responsible for procurement and public sector management oversight, comprising 15 individuals.
In total, over 70 state officials have been implicated. The DSI aims to finalise the case file within this week and submit it to the NACC by next week for a formal investigation.
When asked whether the current Auditor-General is among those accused, the Deputy Director-General of the DSI responded:
“The names involved pertain to a previous administration. As for whether the current Auditor-General is included, we must wait for the NACC to conduct its inquiry. The details are in the case file, which covers developments from the beginning up to the present.”
