Justice Minister Vows Accountability Following Auditor General's Office Tragedy

Investigators comb through wreckage, focusing on negligence and contract irregularities after tragedy claims dozens of lives

 

Thailand's Department of Special Investigation (DSI) is ramping up its investigation into the catastrophic collapse of the Auditor General's Office building, with Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong vowing that those responsible will face imprisonment.

 

Investigators are on site, meticulously gathering evidence to establish the truth behind the tragedy that has claimed a significant number of lives.

 

Pol Col Tawee Sodsong visited the incident command centre on Wednesday to offer his support to the rescue teams and then held discussions with Pol Maj Gen Yutthana Praedam, director-general of the DSI, Pol Maj Woranan Srilam, the DSI spokesperson, Pol Maj Gen Jetsada Suaisom, Commander of Metropolitan Police Division 2, and forensic experts.

 

Tawee emphasised that while hope for survivors remained, the criminal investigation into potential negligence causing death was paramount.

 

He stressed the need for a transparent and straightforward process to uncover the truth, particularly given the high death toll. The Justice Ministry has classified two related matters as special cases:


The operation of nominee businesses by foreign individuals.
Bidding processes for government projects involving private companies.


 

These investigations will run alongside the probe into potential state official involvement. 


  



 

Investigators are focusing on gathering material evidence, witness accounts, expert opinions, and documentation related to four key contracts: design, supervision, design changes, and the construction itself, which was undertaken by a joint venture involving China Railway Number 10 and Italian-Thai Development.

 

The initial three contracts are under intense scrutiny as part of the special case, alongside the police's investigation into negligence resulting in the numerous fatalities.

 

Regarding allegations of forged signatures and the resizing of the lift shaft design, the Justice Minister stated that all information would be considered. Evidence will be gathered and rigorously verified to identify those responsible.

 

Handwriting analysis is currently underway, and while the claim of signature forgery by Somkiat Chusaengsuk is being taken seriously, scientific verification is necessary, with results expected within two weeks.

  



 

Assoc Prof Tavida Kamolvej, deputy governor of Bangkok, provided an update on the debris removal, stating that the height of the wreckage had been reduced to 14 metres on Wednesday morning, with ongoing efforts to lower it further. 

 

Once the height is reduced, a layer of interwoven steel has been encountered, requiring specialist cutting teams. Recovering bodies remains a difficult process, with only body parts currently being found.

 

The number of missing remains at 50, with authorities conducting multiple thorough ecological verification processes to ensure accurate identification before returning remains to families.

 

Efforts to clear the site were further boosted by the opening of an additional access point in Zone C to expedite the removal of concrete and steel debris to a designated area owned by the State Railway of Thailand.

 

The latest figures for the disaster stand at 103 victims: 44 fatalities, 9 injured, and 50 still unaccounted for.

(2025/04/16-00:00)