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BANGKOK : Thailand's public health minister quit on Tuesday after he was accused of negligence linked to dubious plans for a ministry budget worth more than two billion dollars.
Witthaya Kaewparadai was among a group of politicians and officials named in a report on Monday as being negligent in implementing plans for the 86-billion baht (2.6 billion dollar) budget, part of an economic stimulus scheme.
The report, by a government committee set up to investigate the budget, found prices for medical equipment to be purchased by the ministry, such as heart monitoring systems and radioactive cancer treatment machinery, had been dramatically inflated.
"The report shows that these people were found negligent and acted in inappropriate ways that shows signs of intentions to commit corruption," said Vichai Chotevivat of the fact-finding committee.
"Even though the purchases had not yet happened yet... they may have caused damages," he said.
Witthaya, a member of the ruling Democrat party, told reporters that he would submit his resignation letter on Wednesday, but denied he had approved the projects in question, which he said had all been halted.
"I act in response to people's feelings," he said. - AFP/ms
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