alleged drug abuse and extortion
PUBLISHED: 4 Mar 2025 at 05: 48
The War Veterans Organization of Thailand ( WVO ) alleges that 20 government employees were involved in a bribery scheme involving drug prescriptions issued by the Veterans General Hospital (VGH).
On Monday, Gen Detnithit Luang-Ngam, director-general of the WVO, and Tanadej Pengsuk, a Thai MP for the People’s Party in Bangkok, filed the complaint with Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat Pankaew, deputy commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau ( CIB ), Bhumivisan Kasemsook, OACC secretary-general, and Pol Maj Gen Gen Detnithit Luang-Ngam. Mr. Tanadej, who is a lieutenant member of the House committee on military affairs, stated on his Twitter account on Monday that over 100 people had been discovered to be involved in the scheme during an investigation that last month cost millions of baht in damages.
Gen Detnithit claimed that WVO and the PACC had been working together to look into the system in the interim. According to information obtained from a WVO fact-finding committee, the corruption had been occurring for at least ten years, thanks to a core group of about 20 government employees, both current and withdrew.
Gen Detnithit claimed that he noticed irregularities in his first couple weeks of office as the WVO director-general in October 2023. He discovered the same number of patients at the time, 10 to 20 each, and all of them were transported by vans from Lop Buri state and given regular prescriptions for the drugs at the center of the inquiry.
Whether or not the corruption scheme involved military organizations was carried out by Mr. Bhumivisan of the PACC, the investigation would continue to be strict on all wrongdoing by officials at all levels, with the laws being similarly applied.
” Those connected to the plan may turn themselves in [before more allegations are made],” said Mr. Bhumivisan.