The Royal Thai Army is facing new graft accusations. This time a senior military officer was accused of swindling some of the system's funds on an army housing project.
While the accusation needs probing, the reaction of the Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha is dismaying.
Being bombarded by media questions on Tuesday, Gen Prayut just walked away, telling the media to seek information from the army's spokesman instead.
The defence minister should have risen to the occasion by communicating to the public about what the ministry will do and ensuring a fair and swift probe. The last thing people need is to see the responsible minister walking off.
The accusation was raised by two businesswomen, identified only as Ms Koi and Ms Bird, who were contracted by the army to build houses for army officers.
Both went to the Ministry of Justice on Monday asking for witness protection from the senior officer because they had knowledge of his alleged swindling of the loans.
The loans, supposedly offered with low interest, are disbursed under the army's welfare system to soldiers who use the money to build their houses.
The women also claimed that graft in the lending system might be behind the massacre in Nakhon Ratchasima in 2020 when soldier Sgt Maj Jakrapanth Thomma killed 29 people and wounded 57 at a Korart shopping mall.
Two of the first people he killed were his boss and a contractor in the army housing project who happened to be his boss's mother-in-law. Interesting enough, army spokesman Lt Gen Nirundorn Srikacha yesterday move quickly to dismiss suggestions that graft could be behind the mass shootings in Nakhon Ratchasima.
Indeed, society has been left in the dark about the actual motivation behind the carnage in 2020.
The army launched a probe and subsequently cancelled all pensions and compensation for the late Sgt Maj Jakrapanth and the first two victims he killed: his boss and the army housing project's contractor.
Lawyer Paisarn Ruangrit, who accompanied the women to the ministry, said the senior army officer, believed to be attached to the army's welfare department, may have swindled some of the loan money, by claiming the recipients had to pay a 5% welfare fee and a further unspecified amount called a "loose change" fee.
He said many soldiers had their loans deducted illegally with the money most probably going into the senior army officer's pocket.
It goes without saying that demoralising and corrupt workplaces breed further corruption and despair.
While the response of the defence minister and the army do not inspire much hope, the ball is in the court of the Justice Ministry.
The ministry must provide full protection to the businesswomen and two army soldiers who chose to go public with the information. The ministry must launch a swift, fair probe into the allegations. All culprits must be brought to justice, no matter how high their rank.
Leaving this accusation unsolved is to deny justice, not only to the victims but to society at large.
