Bangchak Clarifies DSI Case: Merely Form Filing Errors, Not Oil Hoarding
Bangchak's CEO says the DSI case against oil refineries involves only minor form-filing errors, not intentional oil hoarding, and would result in administrative fines rather than criminal charges.
On May 19, Chaiyawat Kovavissarach, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Bangchak Corporation Public Company Limited, addressed reports that the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) is pursuing action against a group of oil refineries, saying the matter contains no serious issues or major scandal as portrayed in the news. He characterized it as merely a discrepancy in how data was entered on reporting forms. According to Chaiyawat, multiple agencies examined a group of traders and found that some had filled out their reporting forms incompletely or with information that deviated from actual facts. Under regulations, such reporting errors would only result in administrative fines through legal procedures. "There's nothing more to it than that, but reports have come out claiming there's oil hoarding or serious wrongdoing," Chaiyawat said. "Even the Department of Energy Business itself previously stated that it had never before required reports with this level of detail, which makes it easy for clerical errors to occur." Meanwhile, Sarawut Gaewtatip, Director-General of the Department of Energy Business under the Ministry of Energy, said that regarding next steps, they must wait for the DSI investigation to be completed first.
