Leave no stone unturned in graft probes

The collapse of the State Audit Office’s (SAO) under-construction building, last week following a powerful quake in Myanmar set a world record — but not in a way that Thai people would take pride in.

- Chairith Yonpiam

According to Prof Pennung Warnitchai, a quake expert, professor and chair of the structural engineering programme at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), the SAO’s high rise was the tallest building to crumble in the quake. It’s also the most remote structure from the quake’s epicentre in Mandalay, central Myanmar.

This gave rise to a myriad of questions about alleged graft and irregularities in the construction project that began in 2020 and was to be completed in 2023. The new deadline has long since expired. It goes without saying that the earthquake-induced collapse is not the first safety issue Thailand has faced when it comes to construction projects. In February 2023, a crane also fell to the ground, killing one worker.

At this point, people are still scratching their heads about why the building, built on a 2-billion-baht-plus budget, was the only major casualty in the quake. It should be noted that a great part of buildings under construction in Bangkok did not observe or withstood the powerful tremors despite suffering some cracks. They didn’t cave in like the SAO’s building. A probe is under way to check for corruption amid complaints that something smells fishy.

The case is ironic given that the SAO is an independent body tasked with auditing budgetary spending and procurement in the government and its ministries. It is humiliating that its new office building, which should have been a source of pride, is suspected of corruption.