30 police officers in ‘ang pao’ scandal put on probation for ‘minor misconduct’

By The Nation

 

 

Thirty Bangkok policemen who queued to collect ang pao, the traditional distribution of money in red envelopes during Chinese New Year, from another officer were reprimanded and placed on probation pending further punishment for “minor misconduct”, a senior police officer said on Sunday.

 

Metropolitan Police Bureau commissioner Lt-General Charnthep Sesawet said a Metropolitan Police Area 7 investigation had found the 30 officers guilty of minor misconduct for taking money from Special Branch Division officer Pol Sub-Lieutenant Manas Termthanasak. 

 

Manas, who is separately under investigation for dereliction of duty after having travelled abroad 96 times last year, has also been accused of involvement in “grey businesses” over the past decade, including with a gambling den.

 

Charnthep said the punished officers were 15 from Thammasala precinct, six from Bang Sao Thong, eight from Bang Yee Khan and one from Taling Chan.

 

The uniformed police queuing to wai Manas and take traditional red ang pao envelopes from him at his Thon Buri home last month was recorded and, when the video was leaked on the Internet, it elicited a public commotion because of the perceived malfeasance. 

 

A Royal Thai Police regulation prohibits officers from visiting business establishments during annual festivals, especially the Lunar New Year, and collecting money, gifts or other benefits, which is deemed “inappropriate”, although a National Anti-Corruption Commission rule allows civil servants to accept cash or items worth up to Bt3,000 as gifts.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30340136

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-03-05

2 hours ago, webfact said:

a National Anti-Corruption Commission rule allows civil servants to accept cash or items worth up to Bt3,000 as gifts.

So corruption in the civil service is OK so long as it is petty corruption and has the approval of the NACC.  And here I was thinking Pinocchio had promised to end corruption completely.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

accused of involvement in “grey businesses”

 

And, each business has 50 shades of grey.

 

Huh?30? Why ONLY 30? Or 30 small Ang Pao 30,000 Big A.P?

Somebody spoiled the coffee again over the road map to fight corruption.

Oh well, all the money will have to go on hookers now they cannot buy sunglasses

6 hours ago, Cadbury said:

So corruption in the civil service is OK so long as it is petty corruption and has the approval of the NACC.  And here I was thinking Pinocchio had promised to end corruption completely.

Such rigid thinking on your side makes it hard to see the wisdom of these rules.

 

Yes it opens the door for corruption, but on the other hand genuine gifts are given too. Gifts without an corrupt action by the official. 

 

There is a difference between accepting a 3000 bt gift and then doing something criminal for the giver and just getting a gift without any action by the government official. The first action is obviously corruption while the second is not. 

 

But it makes it harder of course to prove corruption if you have this rule as they can always claim it was a gift and nothing was done for the giver in return. However if you can prove that they let someone who was not eligible cross the border for the 3000 bt then it surely is corruption. It just makes it a bit harder to prove corruption as you also have to prove the action by the official. 

 

Things are just a bit different then how you like to portrait it. 

18 minutes ago, robblok said:

There is a difference between accepting a 3000 bt gift and then doing something criminal for the giver and just getting a gift without any action by the government official.

Your'e a funny man. What an imagination you have. Are you suggesting that Thai people would go handing out 3000 baht gifts to civil servants for doing absolutely nothing other what they are supposed to do and that is to provide a service. 

19 minutes ago, Cadbury said:

Your'e a funny man. What an imagination you have. Are you suggesting that Thai people would go handing out 3000 baht gifts to civil servants for doing absolutely nothing other what they are supposed to do and that is to provide a service. 

 

 

I give my postman a bottle of JW black for his good services.. now I would do the same for a few people at the tax office. Did not make me pay any less taxes or anything. (Thai company taxes)  So there you have it people in business giving gifts without getting something back. Just to keep relations happy. Thais did the same thing. Im sure you can imagine other things where you just give a small present under 3000 to people you work with a lot and these people can be government employees. 

Prosecute police.  Stop letting them go