The corruption is believed to have caused a loss to the state of B4 million.
The probe has been ordered by the Office of the Auditor General (OAG), Surat Thani branch, which wrote to Governor Nisit Jansomwong ordering him to set up the committee to investigate people believed to be involved in possible corruption.
The letter from the OAG noted that the cost of materials requested by the local Procurement Price Setting Board (PPSB) differed from the estimate made by the OAG’s engineer – which the PPSB was obliged to follow.
In addition, the cost of office rental and workers’ accommodation, the OAG noted, was B345,000 more than the correct estimate.
The OAG’s engineer calculated that the real cost of building the pier should have been B44.9 million while the actual amount applied to the project was B48.9 million, a difference of B4 million.
Rawai Mayor Arun Soros and members of the PPSB will be at the centre of the investigation.