Twenty-five city officials have been implicated in a corruption scandal involving the procurement of overpriced and overrated fitness equipment for Bangkok fitness centers. Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), Nathapong Disayabutra, announced today that a disciplinary committee will be established to investigate these allegations.
The committee will have 120 days to complete its investigation, with an option to extend the probe by an additional 60 days if necessary. Nathapong highlighted that the procurement process for the fitness equipment, which encompassed seven projects, violated state bidding practices. Prices were inflated above market rates, and specifications were unnecessarily narrow, limiting competition.
Nathapong also pointed out that the qualifications required from bidders were unusually restrictive. The Terms of Reference demanded bidders to have completed at least four contracts with state agencies in the past two years, a criterion that exceeds the standards set by the Finance Ministry. This requirement effectively reduced the pool of potential bidders.
Among the 25 officials involved in the scandal, one has already resigned. Nathapong mentioned that the remaining 24 officials are spread across different departments or units but were all responsible for procurement projects.
Officials attending the press conference included members of the disciplinary committee and other key figures from the BMA, reflecting the administration’s commitment to addressing the corruption allegations comprehensively.
