Another corruption scandal involving the procurement of fire-fighting equipment surfaced yesterday when the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) said some provinces had deliberately been supplied with substandard equipment that was breaking down prematurely.

The fire-trucks and other equipment were purchased by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) three years ago for use by fire stations outside Bangkok.

DSI investigator Colonel Suchart Wonganantchai said the equipment had become unusable after only brief periods of service. Some could not be used at all. Bidders on a Bt2.64-billion contract to supply local administrative bodies with fire-fighting equipment had colluded, Suchart said. Half of the items bought by the DDPM did not meet the required specifications, he said.

The deal also cost about Bt100 million more than the appropriate price, Suchart said.

Many items wore out within a  year and could not be repaired or replaced in accordance with a five-year free maintenance deal because no spare parts were available. The officer said there was sufficient evidence to proceed against the bidders but the DSI was still trying to determine whether DDPM officials involved in the purchasing process benefited from coming up with low specifications or inflating the project value. Another DSI investigator, Lt-Colonel Jakkrit Daengsurisri, cited as an example of incorrect specifications an expensive piece of equipment with remotely controlled water-cannon booms, which did not work because the booms operated on the same frequency, meaning they could not be controlled independently.

Furthermore, Jakkrit said, many of the fire trucks purchased were equipped with fibreglass water containers, which were not appropriate for Thailand as many of the vehicles must be parked outdoors, exposing them to direct sunlight, causing the containers to deteriorate prematurely.

The DDPM initiated the deal in 2003 to procure equipment for 799 administrative bodies. The Bt2.64-billion project was supported by a government budget of Bt1.49 billion, with the rest being paid by the municipal organisations.