Justice “by blanket accusation” one year after the OAG building collapse: Unanswered questions in a tragedy that exposed the entire system,
One year has passed since the collapse of the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) building. Although the ruined structure has been dismantled and removed from its original site, the questions raised by the incident remain unanswered and silent.
For Dr. Mana Nimitmongkol, this event is not merely a tragedy caused by technical errors but a reflection of the structural failure of the Thai state.
“This is an incident that has made Thai people very angry because of the loss involved and it is a source of shame.”
Dr. Mana Nimitmongkol, chairman of the Anti-Corruption Organization of Thailand, stated firmly that the OAG is responsible for overseeing the transparency of all government agencies nationwide. Therefore, the building of this organization should meet the highest standards in design, strength, and safety.
What happened was entirely the opposite: the building of the very agency tasked with auditing collapsed. The damage was not limited to the structure itself but also undermined confidence in the entire system, prompting society to question whether the Thai bureaucracy has failed to such an extent.
What concerns him is not only the cause of the collapse but the “lack of answers.” Even after a full year, “to this day, the complete investigation report has never been made public.” When the government withholds information, the public cannot learn the facts, and without knowledge, trust cannot develop.
For Dr. Mana, transparency is not just about openness but a prerequisite for resolving the problem. “If the information were released, professionals such as engineers, architects, and academics could help analyze it.” The ongoing ambiguity not only erodes public trust but also burdens those who may not be involved.
Following the incident, legal actions have been divided into three main groups: nominee company cases, design and construction violations, and bid-rigging cases involving many government officials. The key question is whether these processes are thorough enough or merely blanket prosecutions.
The term “blanket accusation” here does not just refer to the number of suspects but expresses concern that the charges may not differentiate responsibilities in sufficient detail.
“If that is the case, the cases might not be strong enough to punish the guilty, while innocent people may lose both their reputation and freedom.”
Regarding the bid-rigging case, he noted skepticism about the plausibility of involving as many as 72 government officials. He also pointed out that although the list covers OAG executives, it remains unclear whether it includes the Office of the Auditor General’s committee members.
While he acknowledges that such cases require time, especially those under the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), which may take 3–5 years, society hopes for speed without sacrificing fairness.
For Dr. Mana, what worries him more than the legal cases is what the incident revealed: “People are angry because they feel their lives are at risk.” The first risk society questions is the standards of the Thai construction industry, from professional standards of engineers and architects to practical supervision systems. Problems like signature trading, document forgery, and lax oversight all reflect that the state’s audit system may never have functioned seriously. He views this as a long-accumulated structural problem, not an isolated issue.
Looking deeper, the construction industry’s structure itself is full of interconnected pressures forming a chain.
“We have heard about nominee companies for a long time. It relates to capital, competition, and foreign investment.”
At the same time, fierce price competition in government procurement causes severe price-cutting.
When prices are lowered, main contractors must subcontract further, and ultimately, the cost cutbacks affect safety.
He explains that when cost structures are squeezed, budgets for safety systems or project supervisors are usually the first to be reduced.
At the end of this chain are the workers, especially migrant laborers. “When multiple layers of subcontracting exist, workers are at the bottom of the system.”
These workers often operate under unstable conditions and may not receive protections they should have. This is not only a safety issue but also a human rights concern.
Though justice processes are lengthy, he emphasizes society’s important role: “At the very least, we must question the system.” Questions about procurement, tax money use, and government responsibility.
Ultimately, Dr. Mana believes this incident should lead to change. “We must think together about how to stop corruption,” “how to handle specification locking, bid-rigging, or dereliction of duty.”
Because without clear answers, this tragedy may not be the last, and the same questions may resurface when it is too late to ask them.