Three years, one fish in Thai trial
The Nation, Asia News Network, Bangkok
On the bright side, someone is going to jail simply for trying to use his political connections to force provincial doctors to make medical purchases at inflated prices.
Five or six years ago, Jirayu Charasthien would not have even been taken to court for doing what he did. Now he has to spend six years in prison, with no right to appeal against the ruling of the Supreme Court's political and criminal section. He has the first scalp of a mechanism in Thailand intended to inflict real punishment on political "crimes".
But former aide to ex-public health minister Rakkiat Sukthana, is just a small fish in a scam of national magnitude. The medical procurement scandal is too big to involve only one low-profile character.
The suspect was indicted by the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) and then tried by the Supreme Court's political and criminal section. The historic verdict was based on testimony by key witnesses -- provincial public health chiefs approached by Jirayu in 1998. When the scandal broke, Rakkiat was forced out of the Chuan Cabinet along with Deputy Minister Thirawat Siriwansarn. But their embarrassment seemed to end there.
The NCCC also investigated Rakkiat but only managed to get lukewarm results. Another senior official initially linked to the scam, former health permanent secretary Prakrom Wuthipong, faced bureaucratic investigation but was presumed innocent.
The NCCC successfully nailed Jirayu because respected doctors testified solidly against him.
Jirayu and whoever the real mastermind was could have plundered a Bt1.4 billion medical budget but for the courage of the Rural Doctors Society which blew the whistle. If Jirayu's downfall is the end of the road for the scandal, it's an injustice for the rural doctors and activists who risked everything to expose it.
Two C-9 health officials and five provincial health chiefs have been fired following investigations. Their fates were typical -- small fish will get fried while the big ones will be let off the hook. Our reformed anti-graft system has not provided convincing signs that it can change all this.
We need a speedier and more straightforward process. Who are the drug companies that sought to sell products at highly inflated prices by using political connections? How were they linked to top ministry officials? Have the accounts of the firms and top politicians involved been investigated?
The new system involving the NCCC, the Supreme Court's political and criminal section and the Constitution Court are supposed to cut through the lingering influences of the status quo and find out the answers to such questions.
The way the drug procurement scandal has panned out -- three years and one small fish -- is hardly promising.