The nation, March 18, PM prom

[suriya@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

      PM promises action
      against accused in
      Salween case

      PRIME Minister Chuan Leekpai said
      Tuesday that the government would take
      action against at least 42 officials
      implicated in the Salween logging case. 

      Chuan, who received a report from the
      committee appointed by the government to
      uncover the truth about the plunder of the
      Salween forest, said he needed a couple of
      days to review the findings before
      forwarding them to the concerned agencies
      and recommending disciplinary and
      criminal action against those officials who
      backed the poaching operations. 

      He disclosed that interior, police, military,
      forestry and customs officials had worked
      as a team to condone the plunder of
      Salween. 

      He pointed out that the fact-finding report
      on the Salween scandal had only covered
      the duty aspect of the concerned officials
      and that grounds had been established for
      further investigations into their respective
      roles. 

      In a separate criminal probe, police are
      gathering evidence to bring officials and
      poachers to justice. 

      Commenting on the Agriculture Ministry's
      disciplinary investigation against forestry
      official Prawat Thanadka, the prime
      minister said the outcome of the
      investigation would depend on facts. 

      Prawat, who sparked the scandal last
      month after attempting to donate to the
      Thai-help-Thai fund the Bt5 million that he
      alleged was given to him as a bribe, will be
      dismissed if found guilty on charges of
      corruption and failure to inform superiors
      about the bribery attempt. 

      The disciplinary committee, appointed on
      Monday, will conclude its investigation in 30
      days. 

      Prawat Tuesday continued to maintain his
      innocence, saying that the public should
      realise that it was he who first exposed the
      bribery issue. 

      Meanwhile the Thai Post newspaper
      Tuesday published a list of more than 100
      officials whose names figured in the Bt2
      million monthly payment list of a logging
      businessman. 

      Police found the list, in late February, while
      searching the residence of Tak
      businessman Prapan Chankrajang who is a
      close relative of logging tycoon Som
      Chankrajang. 

      The search was conducted in an attempt to
      trace the Bt5 million payment to Prawat.
      Police later said that they could link the
      ''hot'' money to Tak saw mill owner Vinai
      Panichyanuban, who is a close business
      associate of Som. 

      Although Prapan claimed that the list was
      an old accounting record belonging to a
      friend, investigators believe otherwise. 

      Deputy Police Director General Pol Gen
      Sant Sarutanon and Central Investigation
      Bureau Commissioner Pol Lt Gen Seri
      Temiyavej are leading the criminal probe
      investigating the alleged bribery list. 

      Interior Minister Sanan Kachornprasart
      conceded Tuesday that several interior
      officials were accused of playing a part in
      the poaching at Salween. 

      Sanan said that he would take disciplinary
      action against senior officials who might
      also face criminal proceedings, pending
      the completion of police probe. 

      He said that the prime minister would soon
      reveal details of the outcome of the national
      committee investigation into the Salween
      scandal. 

      Deputy Defence Minister Gen Wattanachai
      Wuthisiri said the Army would appoint a
      committee to investigate military officers
      involved in the scandal. 

      Agriculture Minister Pongpol Adireksarn
      said he was prepared to answer all queries
      from the opposition on the Salween case
      although he was surprised to learn that the
      censure debate might be aimed at former
      prime minister and Chat Thai leader
      Banharn Silapa-archa instead of the
      present coalition. 

      Banharn granted permission to open the
      border checkpoints to import Burmese
      logs, allegedly prompting poachers to
      illegally cut down trees at Salween and
      claim that they were imported timber. 

      BY PIYANART SRIVALO 

      The Nation