Ex-permanent secretary for transport jailed for 10 months

[snoop1130]

Ex-permanent secretary for transport jailed for 10 months

By The Nation

 

 

FORMER TRANSPORT permanent secretary Supoj Saplom was on Tuesday sentenced to 10-months imprisonment for failing to declare his full assets.

 

The 64-year-old was found guilty by The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders of deliberately avoiding to mention Bt17.5 million in cash and a Bt3 million Volkswagen in the declaration of his assets on five occasions. 

 

He could still appeal under the new constitution. 

 

He was detained at Don Muang sub-district court pending the court’s decision on whether to grant him bail.

 

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) sued Supoj for erroneously declaring his assets during his service as transport permanent secretary in 2009-2011 after the NACC had unanimously found him guilty of “unusual wealth” in 2012. The NACC froze his assets worth a total of Bt64.7 million, including the Bt17.5 million cash and the Volkswagen.

 

The corruption surfaced after burglars broke into Supoj’s house in Bangkok’s Wang Thong Lang district on November 12, 2011 while he was at his daughter’s wedding. 

 

In the theft complaint, Supoj told police that only Bt5 million cash was missing. However, when several suspects were later arrested, Bt18 million in cash and gold ornaments were retrieved. 

 

The suspects confessed to the theft and claimed to have seen bags bulging with cash inside the house that they could not carry away with them. 

 

As Supoj could not explain the source of the assets, the NACC launched an unusual wealth probe, resulting in his indictment and a separate civil lawsuit to confiscate his assets.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30327759

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-9-26

[tracker1]

Geez glad they got the VW ! Under the new constituion he can appeal ! sounds like the new constitution is good for "unusual wealth" cases

[marginline]

18 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

The corruption surfaced after burglars broke into Supoj’s house in Bangkok’s Wang Thong Lang district on November 12, 2011 while he was at his daughter’s wedding. 

 

In the theft complaint, Supoj told police that only Bt5 million cash was missing. However, when several suspects were later arrested, Bt18 million in cash and gold ornaments were retrieved.

Two comments here:

1. That's an awfully long period of time from when the corruption first surfaced 'til Mr Saplom's sentencing. That's a good sign; right?

2. Note to Mr Saplom - people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

[saakura]

I remember reading that the burglars confessed to having seen sacks and sacks of currency which was initially reported to be about a billion. But when it went to court, the official amount was a paltry 17.5 million.

[rebo]

32 minutes ago, saakura said:

I remember reading that the burglars confessed to having seen sacks and sacks of currency which was initially reported to be about a billion. But when it went to court, the official amount was a paltry 17.5 million.

Haai pai nai --- Mai ruu ...
And ten (!!!) whole months (and later on bail) ... This is what I call "with iron fist" ...

Edited September 26, 2017 by rebo

[marginline]

32 minutes ago, saakura said:

I remember reading that the burglars confessed to having seen sacks and sacks of currency which was initially reported to be about a billion. But when it went to court, the official amount was a paltry 17.5 million.

Doing the maths...there could well be 'something' in what the burglars saw as: 

1. ฿17.5-million in ฿1,000 notes would weigh 17.5-kgs. A single stack of money with 17,500 new banknotes would be 1.75-meters high and would have a volume of at least 18 litres. For transportation, 2 strong men could easily carry this; however...

2. A ฿1-billion in ฿1,000 notes would weigh 1-ton. A single stack of money with 1-million new banknotes would be 100-meters high and would have a volume of at least 1,035 litres. For transportation, a small truck would be required.

[saakura]

17.5 million and a VW car would be just snack money for a corrupt permanent secretary of transport. That much he would be earning from a single big transport company, if he was on the take.

[janclaes47]

Why you guys always consider Thai government workers to be corrupt.

 

Yes they discovered about 1 billion Baht,  but he told them that it was earned from an after hours job as construction designer he held or 10 years.

 

Since he is now in jail for 10 months, or much less, I guess that position is up for grasps now, and I'm on my way to apply.

 

http://www.pricesanond.com/knowledge/archives-anti-corruption-laws/pm-inquiry-office-decides-to-discontinue-investigation-of-supoj.php

[robblok]

47 minutes ago, rebo said:

Haai pai nai --- Mai ruu ...
And ten (!!!) whole months (and later on bail) ... This is what I call "with iron fist" ...

There is more info in the Bangkok post.. also his money that was ill gotten was confiscated and he lost it. So its not just 10 months. They hit him where it hurt.. his money. 

[rebo]

6 minutes ago, robblok said:

There is more info in the Bangkok post.. also his money that was ill gotten was confiscated and he lost it. So its not just 10 months. They hit him where it hurt.. his money. 

I just read he is already released on bail.
And be sure --- the confiscated money and assets is what we call petty cash.
What really would have hurt him would have been at least 5 years in a 20 men cell. 

Edited September 26, 2017 by rebo

[robblok]

1 minute ago, rebo said:

I just read he is already released on bail.
And be sure --- the confiscated money and assets is what we call petty cash. 

Probably.. believe over 64 million confiscated.. out on bail is not good .... but 64 million is not what i call petty cash.. maybe for them.. maybe for you but not for me.. and i find it a good thing that money like that is confiscated.

 

[rebo]

29 minutes ago, robblok said:

... i find it a good thing that money like that is confiscated.

 

Of course I agree. Even though I have my doubts in whose pockets it will land at the end of the day ...

Edited September 26, 2017 by rebo

[robblok]

2 hours ago, rebo said:

Of course I agree. Even though I have my doubts in whose pockets it will land at the end of the day ...

It should go to the treasury.. I mean if its in a courts sentence and all its hard to go in someones else his pockets. Before that stage things might happen but once the case is in court it will be hard to change things. 

[retarius]

10 months for all that theft? He'll appeal and never spend a night in the cells. Disgusting.

[mtls2005]

15 hours ago, saakura said:

I remember reading that the burglars confessed to having seen sacks and sacks of currency which was initially reported to be about a billion.

 

The burglars actually ended up calling friends with pick-ups to come help with the haul, but only one or two made it on time.

 

All "wedding presents" of course.

 

So much Thai paper money salted away, the Thai mint must be running 7x24 running off 1,000 baht notes to keep up?

[Tchooptip]

"The suspects confessed to the theft and claimed to have seen bags bulging with cash inside the house that they could not carry away with them."

Almost unbelievable! 

[off road pat]

On 26/09/2017 at 2:33 PM, marginline said:

Doing the maths...there could well be 'something' in what the burglars saw as: 

1. ฿17.5-million in ฿1,000 notes would weigh 17.5-kgs. A single stack of money with 17,500 new banknotes would be 1.75-meters high and would have a volume of at least 18 litres. For transportation, 2 strong men could easily carry this; however...

2. A ฿1-billion in ฿1,000 notes would weigh 1-ton. A single stack of money with 1-million new banknotes would be 100-meters high and would have a volume of at least 1,035 litres. For transportation, a small truck would be required.

As I recall, there were 10 burglars not 2,....they all came out with bags full of money ,...two of the leaders fled to Laos, the rest were caught. you can do the maths again....!!!

[cyberfarang]

Very convenient that the burglars broke in when the secretary was out at his daughter`s wedding including no one else being on the premises. What are the names of the burglars and who exactly are they?

 

Doubt this was an opportunist crime, because they knew when to break in, where the cash and gold was hidden and when caught had all the booty still in their possession. My guess is this was a well organised setup for reasons that it doesn`t take a genius to work out.

[Reigntax]

Didnt Prayuths brother "accidentally" forget to declare his assets correctly and it was just a misunderstanding? Yes, the same one whos son was running a construction company out of the barracks and found to be holding government funds in his personal account?

 

The whole country is currently a circus controlled by the clowns.

[off road pat]

14 hours ago, cyberfarang said:

Very convenient that the burglars broke in when the secretary was out at his daughter`s wedding including no one else being on the premises. What are the names of the burglars and who exactly are they?

 

Doubt this was an opportunist crime, because they knew when to break in, where the cash and gold was hidden and when caught had all the booty still in their possession. My guess is this was a well organised setup for reasons that it doesn`t take a genius to work out.

obviously you didn't followed the case from the beginning ....the burglars caught the staff gardeners, cooks,...etc and attached them....the police found a alleged part of the booty,....the leader (s) had allegedly fled to Laos with the majority of the loot (booty).... ?!?!?

[off road pat]

On 26/09/2017 at 1:55 PM, saakura said:

I remember reading that the burglars confessed to having seen sacks and sacks of currency which was initially reported to be about a billion. But when it went to court, the official amount was a paltry 17.5 million.

Two of the suspected burglars – Singthong Jaichuenchom 44, and Saokaew Namwong, 59 – were apprehended on Nov. 17 and confessed that they had stolen more than THB200 million in cash, according to the Bangkok Post.

Singthong told the police that a total of six men had robbed the house and that they had found between THB700 million and THB1 billion in cash in the house.

Police Major General Winai Thongsong, chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said that CCTV videos of the robbery showed the group leaving the house with large bags, indicating that a large amount of cash had been stolen.

[cyberfarang]

4 hours ago, off road pat said:

obviously you didn't followed the case from the beginning ....the burglars caught the staff gardeners, cooks,...etc and attached them....the police found a alleged part of the booty,....the leader (s) had allegedly fled to Laos with the majority of the loot (booty).... ?!?!?

But still no names.

[JonnyF]

On 9/26/2017 at 11:11 PM, robblok said:

It should go to the treasury.. I mean if its in a courts sentence and all its hard to go in someones else his pockets. Before that stage things might happen but once the case is in court it will be hard to change things. 

What’s left of it will go the treasury. After that, who knows? No transparency and no accountability with an unelected Junta so they can do with it as they please.

 

In in other news, there are an unbelievable amount of red plated E series Benz around BKK this year. I reckon I see one every few minutes.