Glove procurement cases take shape

Police and officials from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seize gloves worth millions of baht during raids in five provinces in September 2020. (File photo)
In September 2020, during raids in five provinces, police and Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) representatives seize gloves worth millions of baht. ( File image )

In order to pursue lawsuits against those responsible for obtaining 500 million boxes of rubber gloves worth 112 billion baht in 2020, the Public Warehouse Organization ( PWO) has collaborated with the National Anti-Corruption Commission ( NACC ) and Anti – Money Laundering Office ( Amlo ).

After the NACC last month found cause against 22 defendants, including top PWO officials implicated in alleged fraud in the gloves’ purchasing, pWO director Kriangsak Prateepvisut announced on Thursday that the organization is getting ready to submit civil and criminal lawsuits against those offenders.

According to Mr. Kriangsak, the initial cost of the PWO’s damage was estimated to be 2 billion baht, excluding the desire Pol Col. Rungroj Puttiyaphiwat and his associates colluded with in withdrawing money from the bank account to pay a loan to Guardian Gloves Co Ltd.

Plastic gloves, which were in high interest during the height of the Covid – 19 pandemic, were ordered by Guardian Gloves to offer by the PWO.

The PWO made a deposit of 2 billion ringgit for the purchase. The PWO, however, always received a second pair of gloves, and the company has since terminated its agreement with the business.

According to Mr. Kriangsak, the NACC earlier frozen 33 ray of land and 550 million of the 2 billion ringgit in Guardian Gloves’ bank account. Amlo found other property in addition to the bank accounts, but he said they couldn’t be disclosed at this time. Nevertheless, Mr. Kriangsak stated that the PWO will work with the two companies to quickly recover its property. He claimed that the Finance Ministry will receive the panel’s review of the tortious duty of state leaders so that a civil lawsuit may be filed.

In order to investigate transactions with Amlo and file criminal complaints regarding problem, the PWO has already collaborated with the NACC to gather information and send it to the company.