Government told to ban Italian-Thai from participating in bidding for state projects

Thammasat University vice rector Prinya Thaewanarumitkul said on Thursday (April 26) that Italian-Thai Development Plc (ITD) should not be allowed to bid for state projects unless its boss, Premchai Karnasuta, has shown responsibility for his alleged wrongdoings.

Mr Prinya made the above comment in his Facebook page in response to Mr Premchai’s announcement at a shareholders meeting of ITD that he did not kill the black panther and had nothing to do with the illegal hunting at Thungyai Naresuan wildlife sanctuary in February.

Mr Premchai and three of his companions were arrested in the wildlife sanctuary in Kanchanaburi province on Feb 4. Firearms, ammunitions, and wildlife carcasses, including a dead black panthers, were found near his jungle camp.

 

Mr Prinya said it is right in criminal proceedings that a suspect or a defendant is considered innocent until proven otherwise by the court, however, the ITD president was caught red-handed with evidence and weapons which were used in illegal hunting.

In his capacity as the president of a public company whose shares are traded in the stock market and which has won construction contracts worth several tens of billions baht from the state, Mr Premchai must show his responsibility in the initial stage by leaving his post at the company, Mr Prinya said.

“Being responsive is one of the eight elements of good governance and I think that Mr Premchai and the ITD have completely failed on this matter,” said the TU vice rector.

While the case is still pending in the court, he suggested that the government should not allow the ITD to participate in the bidding for government projects unless there is a change of the company’s president to set the standard for good governance in a private company.