ACT slams integrity and transparency award for SAO, urges NACC review

The Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand (ACT) has criticised the decision to grant the State Audit Office (SAO) the top score for transparency among independent agencies, citing the building collapse case as evidence of corruption.

The statement, issued on Thursday, came after the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) awarded the Integrity and Transparency Assessment (ITA) for fiscal year 2025 to the SAO.

According to ACT, the public in Thailand and the international community have not forgotten the image of the SAO building collapsing entirely during the 8.2-magnitude earthquake on March 28.

“The footage and subsequent investigation all pointed to corruption, which has already led to legal punishments for some individuals,” the statement said.However, ACT noted that the SAO, as the project’s owner, has shown no accountability. The public continues to wait for the office to conduct a self-examination and demonstrate professional ethics, particularly given its mandate to audit national spending.

The organisation also pointed out that on August 15 the NACC announced the ITA results, in which the SAO topped the ranking of independent constitutional bodies.

While ACT said it agreed with the ITA’s objectives, describing the evaluation as a key mechanism for raising transparency standards nationwide, it stressed that the assessment should not rely solely on scores submitted by agencies. Instead, it argued, real-world impacts on society must also be considered, or else public trust will be undermined.ACT further highlighted that the SAO building collapse resulted in the loss of 2.13 billion baht in state funds, 89 deaths and numerous injuries. Yet the office has never set up an investigative committee to uncover the facts or taken public responsibility.

“This raises a crucial question: how can an organisation that fails to take responsibility for its own accountability be entrusted with auditing the nation’s finances, while also being honoured with the ITA award?” the statement concluded.

(2025/08/21-00:00)