Samut prakan: Authorities have arrested a company ambassador linked to the son-in-law of a former mayor in Samut Prakan Province, accusing him of forging documents to manipulate government project bids. The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) Region 1, in collaboration with the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), conducted the raid leading to the arrest based on allegations of severe procurement fraud.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Saroj Phuengramphan, Deputy Secretary-General of the NACC, detailed the arrest operation that unfolded early on October 16, 2024. The suspect, identified as Mr. Rangsan, was captured following a meticulous investigation initiated under the directives of an arrest warrant issued by the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases Region 1. The warrant, numbered 17/2564 and dated October 6, 2021, cites multiple violations including aiding an official in committing offenses under various sections of the Criminal Code and the Act on Offenses Related to Bidding to Gov
ernment Agencies.
The investigation revealed that from February to July 2006, Mr. Rangsan registered a juristic entity in his name on behalf of the former mayor’s son-in-law. They allegedly forged work performance certificates to submit bids on two municipal projects with budgets totaling over 9.7 million baht. Despite knowing the entity lacked the requisite qualifications outlined in the procurement notices, the then-mayor neither disqualified the entity from the bidding process nor nullified the bids, ostensibly to favor his son-in-law’s business interests.
Surveillance teams located Mr. Rangsan residing in a village within Mueang Samut Prakan District. After monitoring the location, they apprehended him while he was riding a motorcycle in Soi Phanuwong 6. The arrest was executed with the presentation of the official warrant, and Mr. Rangsan was informed of his rights per the legal protocols.
Post-arrest, Mr. Rangsan was taken to the Samrong Nuea Police Station and subsequently transferred to the Divisio
n 1, Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division of the CIB. The case has been forwarded to the Office of the Suppression of Corruption Cases Region 1 for further legal proceedings, adhering to the Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act.