Bangkok Post
January 29, 2003

Panel finds Sirithan acted improperly.

The director-general of the Environmental Quality Promotion Department was transferred to the Prime Minister’s Office yesterday for his role in the troubled Klong Dan wastewater
treatment project.

An investigation team implicated Sirithan Pairoj-boriboon for “improper conduct” when he was the chief of the Pollution Control Department which supervised the 2.3-billion-baht project. He was accused of bringing in a new firm to join the consortium of five companies contracted to build the project.

Investigation chief and legal expert Surachet Duangsodsri declined to go into detail as the investigation was continuing.

Praphat Panyachartrak, minister of natural resources and environment, said he told Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra of the findings during cabinet yesterday.

Mr Praphat said the decision would enable ministry officials to give additional information to investigators without fear of reprisal. Mr Surachet, also the minister’s adviser, said
Mr Sirithan signed the approval admitting Opco company to the consortium in 2000. The company replaced North West Water International, which withdrew from the group because its name had been used in contracts without its permission.

The introduction of a sixth company to replace North West now becomes the focus of inquiries. The five-company consortium, known as NVPSG, needed North West as its
technical expert. A replacement could always be made, however, as long as it happened before North West left.

Mr Surachet said Mr Sirithan knew of North West’s withdrawal for two years before he brought in the company.

Mr Praphat said more time was needed to study project contracts and look into problems of corruption, and financial and environmental issues.

Mr Sirithan declined to comment although he admitted he was stunned by the sudden order. “But I’ll go wherever they want me to go,” he said.

Initiated in 1995 under the Chuan Leekpai government, the project has been dogged by corruption allegations from the start. It has faced several delays as a result of opposition from local residents who fear the plant will harm the coastal environment.