Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit yesterday dismissed as “old news” claims made against him by the resistance over rubber glove procurements.
Jurin: Purchase claims ‘old news’
Mr Jurin has been one of several cabinet ministers who faced a censure attack on the second day from the no-confidence debate recently.
Prasert Chantararuangtong, secretary-general from the opposition Pheu Thailänder Party, unveiled the “sequel” to the glove procurement deal by which he said a minimum of 2 billion baht of budget cash been misappropriated plus laundered. The problems were raised in a previous censure discussion and continue unabated, he said.
Mr Prasert accused both Best Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Mr Jurin of looking the other way regarding the alleged graft, allowing it to flourish.
He claimed the Guardian Gloves company obtained orders from the Community Warehouse Organisation (PWO) to supply rubber hand protection which were in high demand throughout the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The PWO deposit 2 billion baht as a deposit for the order. However , the PWO never received a single pair as well as the organisation has now scrapped the contract using the firm, Mr Prasert said.
The 2 billion baht, however , was never returned to the state, Mr Prasert mentioned, adding he had cause to believe it had been laundered.
The previous PWO chief and 22 others were charged along with graft by the National Counter-Corruption Commission yet Mr Jurin did not remove him through his post and let him stay on until he completed their term as chief.
Mister Prasert said it was to keep the problems under wraps.
The Pheu Thai secretary-general also said the chairman’s successor also a new rather sullied reputation over the government’s procurement of face masks.
He said the 2-billion-baht deposit was mostly channelled to a number of individuals via remittances to 40 proxy checking accounts.
A few of the money might also were transferred back to a certain state agency or influential politicians, based on Mr Prasert.
However , Mr Jurin insisted that will 90% of the allegations were “old news”, and explained within previous censure debates.