SAO contractor vows to support quake victims
PUBLISHED: 23 Apr 2025 at 05 :58
China Railway No. 10 ( Thailand ), the contractor of the collapsed State Audit Office ( SAO ) building, will set aside 120 million baht to compensate victims of the tragedy, the justice minister confirmed, adding the move will not impact the criminal case related to the tragedy.
Justice Minister Pol Col Tawee Sodsong said on Tuesday he had been informed by the investigating officials in the case that China Railway No. 10 ( Thailand ) Co would approve 120 million baht to compensate the families of victims who died and the injured.
Currently, 51 individuals have been confirmed dying, with nine injured and 43 also missing.
The money may become channelled through the Ministry of Justice. Nevertheless, he clarified that this is not related to the criminal situation, but is more about charitable problems and the damage caused.
” The affirmation in the research notes that the Taiwanese firm intends to help the patients and those affected. As for the legal process, if the company wishes to assist, it could collaborate with Italian-Thai Development ( ITD), its partner, to avoid burdening the government. If they require the government’s presence, the appropriate rules may be followed to ascertain how the payment will be handled after the funds are received,” he said.
First, he had not yet been contacted by the company directly, but the investigating officials had recorded the information in the suspect’s speech. He furthermore confirmed that the payment may hardly enable a reduction in fines, but was remarkable.
Pol Col Tawee even said the research into the candidate case involving China Railway No. 10 ( Thailand ) also found the wrongdoers, three Thai men and one Chinese man. The penalties for this crime are hardly intense, but the analysis must be completed within four months, essentially within three months, to provide prosecutors another month to review it.
The three Thai people were named as Manas Sri-anan, Prachuap Sirikhet, and Sophon Meechai. They turned themselves in on Monday night while the Chinese administrative, Mr Zhang Chuanling, was arrested on Saturday.
Pol Col Tawee said the research group found that the three Thai gentlemen, who held 51 % of the company’s stock, work for the company as workers and individuals.
As for the cause of the building collapse, the Department of Special Investigation ( DSI) and police officers are actively working on the case, keeping that investigation separate from the issues of procurement corruption and the nominees, he said.
He likewise mentioned another associated case, involving a metal company using fraudulent tax payments, which occurred around 2016-2017. It will need to be reviewed to see if material purchases were made from this business after 2017. The Supreme Court has previously provided assistance on this topic, and he has instructed researchers to work completely.
Pol Maj Woranan Srilamm, a DSI spokeswoman, said just one Thai think, Mr Sophon, provided important witness, while the other two requested to submit written interpretations within 30 days.