insists that” no position” is involved in contentious sales
PUBLISHED: 21 Mar 2025 at 05: 38
Former deputy deputy public health minister and deputy leader of the Palang Pracharath Party ( PPRP ) denied being involved in the contentious purchase of the SKYY9 Centre by the Social Security Office ( SSO ) on Rama IX Road.
He was responding to inquiries about Pattana Promphat, an executive at Watergate Pavilion Co., who sold the structure to another business in 2017 and afterwards sold it to the SSO respect for about 7 billion baht.
Mr. Santi claimed on Thursday that he had never spoken to Suchart Chomklin, a former PPRP representative, despite the fact that they were both in the same group.
Mr. Suchart, who is now a deputy business secretary, was in charge of the labor ministry at the time the SSO reportedly used about 7 billion ringgit from the Social Security Fund’s funds to purchase the building.
The Ministry of Labor is under the control of the SSO.
Mr. Suchart’s lawyer filed a defamation lawsuit on Tuesday against two People’s Party ( PP ) MPs who had publicly accused him of possible involvement in the purchase of the company and demanded$ 50 million in damages.
In the meantime, Mr. Santi claimed in the news that he did not know the SSO was interested in purchasing the building at the time, insisting that there was no hidden political agreement [behind the deal ] at the time.
He also denied any involvement with AGRE 101 Co, which purchased the building from his son’s business for$ 2 billion before selling it to the SSO trust.
Mr. Santi confirmed rumors that the SKYY9 developing would serve as the PPRP offices before some foreign investors made an offer to purchase it, and his son, Mr. Pattana, made the decision to buy it in its place.
Two years after his business, Watergate Pavilion Co., purchased the building from Bangkok Commercial Asset Management ( BAM ), AGRE 101 Co. was one of several companies looking to purchase it in 2019.
He claimed that neither he nor his business were involved in AGRE 101 Co’s early re-selling of the tower. He added that he was unaware that any other party had ever owned the building until recently, when he learned about the controversy surrounding the SSO’s buy of the building.
He declined to comment on whether the SSO’s 7 billion-baht order was fair or if the deal involved any political intervention despite saying he believed the tower had possible given its prime location.