(TH) Fresh dirt thrown at zoos chief

[Guest guest]

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/29Aug2002_news07.html

 

Bangkok Post, 29 Aug 2002

 

Fresh dirt thrown at zoos chief

Pisit says he's target of hungry politicians

 

Yuwadee Tunyasiri Nattaya Chetchotiros

 

Fresh allegations of poor management and corruption at

Songkhla zoo have been made against Zoological Park

Organisation director Pisit na Phattalung, already

under investigation for the death of a baby hippo.

 

Mr Pisit denied all allegations, saying he was a

victim of politicians and state officials hungry for

power.

 

A source said the inquiry panel, headed by PM's Office

deputy permanent secretary Rongpol Charoenpan, would

also look into the death of a giraffe and the

disappearance of an antelope, a tiger cub and a large

number of birds.

 

It would also find out if Songkhla zoo bought

overpriced animal feed, why it allegedly had to buy

plants from outside despite having its own nursery and

why it paid as much as five million baht for two

rhinoceros, the source said.

 

There also were complaints that facilities such as

animal show grounds, a restaurant and a souvenir shop

had not been opened even though construction was

completed, he said.

 

Suan Prachacheun, which was hired by the zoo to do the

landscaping, is owned by a relative of a Zoological

Park Organisation executive, he said.

 

Some zoo executives allegedly received commissions

from contractors.

 

The Rongpol panel began investigating if safety was

lax at Dusit zoo in Bangkok after a baby hippo was

bitten and killed by adult hippos on Aug 4, one day

after it was born. It also is checking claims of

irregularities in the spending of Dusit zoo's annual

budget of 300-400 million baht. Mr Rongpol said he

would ask the Auditor-General's Office to check the

organisation's books.

 

Mr Pisit responded that Mr Rongpol and PM's Office

Minister Krasae Chanawong, who oversees the

organisation, had treated him unfairly. He had

cooperated fully with Mr Rongpol in the investigation

of the death of the hippo.

 

The panel, however, had asked nothing about animal

safety, but wanted to know how many times the laws

governing the organisation had been amended since its

inception 63 years ago.

 

Mr Pisit said he asked Dr Krasae to remove Mr Rongpol

from the panel, but to no avail. Since then, a smear

campaign had been launched against him.

 

Mr Pisit suspected some politicians and government

officials were seeking his removal for

``incompetence'' and would list that in their

``achievements''.

 

He denied Songkhla zoo was poorly managed or plagued

with corruption. A giraffe died of infection after

giving birth to a baby, which was saved. That giraffe

was worth the 600,000 baht investment because it had

produced six babies.``Where is the compliment?''

 

He did not know the antelope and the birds had

disappeared. The tiger cub did not vanish and was

still alive.

 

He had ordered changes of animal feed. Earlier they

were fed only banana and papaya but he wanted them

given a variety of fruit. Five million baht for two

rhinos was the market price. The animals were an

endangered species, he said.

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

It`s sad to say this zoo and our National Zoological Gardens are same .

The problem is the Government is not taking steps to remove corrupted officers.

If there is an e.mail adress we can send some letters to the Head of state.

 

Kala