Some employees of THAI became unusually rich from a major plane procurement deal struck in 2003-2004, according to a police-led investigation team set up by the Transport Ministry. The conclusion came after the team led by Pol Lt Gen Charnthep Sesaves, a former Metropolitan Police Bureau commissioner, completed its investigation, Deputy Transport Minister Thaworn Senneam said on Thursday. Thaworn said he was assigned by Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob to announce the results of the investigation to parliament on Wednesday. He said the focus of the investigation was on the factors that played a major part in landing the struggling airline deep in the red. Thaworn said the probe team discovered that between 2003 and 2004, THAI had purchased 10 Airbus A340 aircraft. The planes were to be used on direct flights linking Bangkok with New York and Los Angeles. Two years after the Bangkok-US services were launched, the airline recorded losses of 12b baht. The losses widened to 39b baht after the same aircraft were flown on other routes. The direct flights to the US went ahead despite the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council objecting to THAI buying those type of planes. The agency questioned the feasibility of operating the planes profitably.<br/>