September 26, 2023
BANGKOK – The Thai Army said it is investigating the puzzling disappearance of more than 200,000 litres of fuel and its link to a military unit in Saraburi province.
Deputy Army spokesperson Maj-General Sirichan Ngathong said on Sunday that the issue surfaced last year when officials were sent to study fuel distribution among Army units nationwide.
During the audit, irregularities were found in the fuel distribution process at the Ordnance Material Rebuild Centre in Saraburi and subsequently reported to the top brass.
In response, the Army initiated a comprehensive study in June this year by setting up a dedicated committee.
The committee is investigating the issue and its final conclusions are pending, Sirichan said, adding that anybody found involved in the disappearance will face disciplinary action.
Meanwhile, the matter has not gone unnoticed in the public sphere.
Move Forward MP Wirote Lakkanadisorn tweeted on Sunday that recent reports say a staggering 215,897 litres of B7 high-speed diesel suspiciously disappeared from the ordnance unit at the 18th Army Division in Saraburi last year. He said it was unlikely that leaks or evaporation could account for such substantial loss and demanded answers.
Jirath Thongsuwan, another Move Forward MP, also pointed out that the Defence Ministry had achieved a score of 94.91 in the National Anti-Corruption Commission’s much-vaunted Integrity and Transparency Assessment (ITA) 2021.