Court dismisses fraud case over bogus GT200 bomb detectors

[webfact]

Court dismisses fraud case over bogus GT200 bomb detectors

By KESINEE JAIKAWANG 
THE NATION

 

File photo

 

DON MUANG Municipal Court yesterday dismissed charges in a fraud trial filed by the Armed Forces Security Centre against Jackson Electronics (Thailand), which supplied eight faulty bomb-detecting devices known as GT200, worth Bt10.4 million, to the centre in 2007.

 

After the procurement, the bomb-detecting devices manufactured by a UK firm failed to detect explosives as advertised.

 

But the supplier was not held responsible – based on a lack of evidence that the firm’s executives knew the products and information in the catalogues were faulty.

 

The Security Centre under the Royal Thai Armed Forces filed the case against the company, which has an office in Bang Na district, after the equipment was tested by the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) and found to be faulty.

 

 

The NSTDA reported that the GT200s were composed of two pieces of plastic, and wholly lacking in electronic circuits to receive signals, as advertised in a catalogue distributed to potential customers.

 

The supposed sensors were made of four pieces of black paper, without any circuitry, the report concluded.

 

In the catalogue, the device is shown to have a swivel antenna that does not require a battery or other power source, because it is purportedly powered by the human user’s static electricity. 

 

The advertisement also claimed the GT200 detector could detect ammunition, explosives, drugs, gold, ivory, currency and tobacco, even if the items were buried.

 

 

The Security Centre filed fraud charges against the firm, which is managed by a Taiwanese national, for alleged false advertising concerning the specifications of the devices.

 

The plaintiff told the court that the Taiwanese executive had demonstrated how to use the devices and distributed catalogues to the military officials before the Security Centre purchased the eight detectors for Bt1.3 million each.

 

The firm won a bidding process to provide the bomb detectors to the Security Centre by demonstrating the equipment to a six-member procurement committee, the court heard.

 

However, the ruling dismissed charges on the grounds that the evidence did not show that Jackson Electronics had been aware of the false information in the catalogues, as the company was a middleman for the UK company Compact that provided the equipment and catalogues.

 

The defendant’s distribution of the catalogues during the demonstration did not prove the executive knew the information was false, the ruling stated.

 

According to Komsan Srivanich, Jackson Electronics’ lawyer, who was present at the court, a similar trial in the UK against Compact, a UK firm supplying the bomb detectors, was also dismissed on similar grounds.

 

The court ruled that the plaintiff could file a separate case in civil court.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30341973

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-03-29

[Dexlowe]

For crying out loud!

[Samui Bodoh]

21 minutes ago, webfact said:

In the catalogue, the device is shown to have a swivel antenna that does not require a battery or other power source, because it is purportedly powered by the human user’s static electricity. 

 

This is my favourite part; 

 

"...powered by the user's static electricity..."

 

Me thinks certain well-connected people do not want this trial to proceed as it would show who was actually responsible for the purchase, and that could be a wee bit embarrassing...

 

[Enoon]

 

Congratulations to anyone who can identify "Compact".

 

There is no mention of it in the UK tale of this incredible con.

 

Requiring an explanation of this claim........

 

"According to Komsan Srivanich, Jackson Electronics’ lawyer, who was present at the court, a similar trial in the UK against Compact, a UK firm supplying the bomb detectors, was also dismissed on similar grounds."

 

It appears that the manufacturer was the supplier, who paid UK diplomats and servicemen to promote them and contracted local agents to deliver them to the end user (he was sent to prison):

 

GT200 - Wikipedia

"It is made by Global Technical Ltd of Ashford, Kent. The company (registered number 03300333) was established as a private limited company on 9 January 1997 with Gary Bolton as director.^[9] A number of overseas partners including Segtec, Napco, Nikunj Eximp Enterprises, Electronic K9 Singapore, Aviasatcom and Concord Consulting have distributed its products in Central America, the Middle East, India, Southeast Asia and Thailand respectively.^[10][11] Global Technical also had a sister company, Global Technical Training Services Ltd (registered company 03793910), which was established on 23 June 1999 but is now dissolved."

 

The story of the fake bomb detectors - BBC News

"The GT200 "remote substance detector", sold by Gary Bolton mainly in Mexico, Thailand, the Middle East and Africa. The device retailed at £5,000 ($8,034) but the highest price it achieved was £500,000 ($803,000). Bolton was sentenced to seven years.

 

The Alpha 6 manufactured by Samuel and Joan Tree and sold to Egypt, Thailand and Mexico, usually at £2,000 ($3,213) per device. The highest sale price was £15,500 ($24,906) Tree was given three and a half years behind bars while his wife was ordered to do 300 hours unpaid community work.

In Thailand they were distributed by a company called Avia Satcom"

 

 

 

[jerojero]

Ha ha ha... What a joke! Executives not responsible for what goes on in their factories. The Corporation however is responsible. So the Corporation should get sued! Judiciary is a joke.

[colinneil]

Just another case that makes Thailand a laughing stock.

Yet again it appears a large amount of money was paid out to get the required court ruling.

[JOC]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The advertisement also claimed the GT200 detector could detect ammunition, explosives, drugs, gold, ivory, currency and tobacco, even if the items were buried

Wow....!!

Device of the century...

And only 1.3 million each......Where can I buy one?

[Darcula]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The supposed sensors were made of four pieces of black paper, without any circuitry, the report concluded.

 

Still better than an amulet.

[JOC]

And as usual.....No one is responsible.....

 

[canopy]

Others around the world easily rejected this device outright as a scam by simple testing. It wasn't even necessary to open the device to see the phony internals. There is some questions of competency that the military would buy so many of any type of gadget without checking to see if and how well it worked first.

 

[sammieuk1]

A lightning quick decision when big money involved.  

[Lungstib]

So if a garage here was selling brand new cars with no brakes they wouldn't be to blame the manufacturer would?

[tracker1]

The 6 person procurement committee surely must have copped a whopper out of this  ! wonder who they were ?

 

 

e the 6 member precurement team

 

 

 

looks likr

[Thian]

39 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Just another case that makes Thailand a laughing stock.

Yet again it appears a large amount of money was paid out to get the required court ruling.

For me it also makes the UK a laughing stock, after all they were the ones who sold them...the Thai just believed them because of their good reputation....

[jayboy]

2 minutes ago, Thian said:

For me it also makes the UK a laughing stock, after all they were the ones who sold them...the Thai just believed them because of their good reputation....

The UK justice system prosecuted and then convicted the wrongdoers.The Thai army's military procurement committee, which is meant to conduct its own detailed investigation and not act on hearsay, approved the purchase of this junk.At the very least the members should be identiified and required to account for their stupidity and or criminality or both.

[Thian]

15 minutes ago, jayboy said:

The UK justice system prosecuted and then convicted the wrongdoers.The Thai army's military procurement committee, which is meant to conduct its own detailed investigation and not act on hearsay, approved the purchase of this junk.At the very least the members should be identiified and required to account for their stupidity and or criminality or both.

They probably couldn't read the manual and just trusted the UK-seller who also sold them to Mexico and other countries. When those things didn't work they must have been thinking they were doing something wrong, still trusting on the good reputation of the UK.

 

But that vendor is convicted, was he forced to pay back to Thailand to save the good reputation of the UK?

[jayboy]

11 minutes ago, Thian said:

They probably couldn't read the manual and just trusted the UK-seller who also sold them to Mexico and other countries. When those things didn't work they must have been thinking they were doing something wrong, still trusting on the good reputation of the UK.

 

But that vendor is convicted, was he forced to pay back to Thailand to save the good reputation of the UK?

 Are suggesting the Thai procurement people had the outlook and analytical capacity of cockroaches? I suggest they knew exactly what they were doing.

[kannot]

Wow  so not only couldnt they detect that long  list but they also couldnt detect STUPIDITY.  hahahahh you Chumps!

[mikebell]

The Thai procurement committee is guilty of malfeasance and/or stupidity and should be made accountable publicly.  Oh...they were in the army!

[Oziex1]

Well once again we find it's not about the items or infrastructure it is all about skimming the budget, that's all.

It will continue.

[Anak Nakal]

I have magic beans for sell! Only 5 million Baht!

[alfalfa19]

"sold by Gary Bolton mainly in Mexico, Thailand, the Middle East and Africa"

 

'nuff said

[Thian]

51 minutes ago, jayboy said:

 Are suggesting the Thai procurement people had the outlook and analytical capacity of cockroaches? I suggest they knew exactly what they were doing.

No need to use language like that.

 

If you go to the Toyota dealer, watch a demonstration of their cars and decide to buy some of them to find out the cars have no engine after delivery. Would that make you have the brain of a cockroach as well??

 

The army was cheated by a Taiwanese national....

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Security Centre filed fraud charges against the firm, which is managed by a Taiwanese national, for alleged false advertising concerning the specifications of the devices.

 

The plaintiff told the court that the Taiwanese executive had demonstrated how to use the devices and distributed catalogues to the military officials before the Security Centre purchased the eight detectors for Bt1.3 million each.

 

[Peabody]

3 hours ago, Enoon said:

The story of the fake bomb detectors - BBC News

"The GT200 "remote substance detector", sold by Gary Bolton mainly in Mexico, Thailand, the Middle East and Africa. The device retailed at £5,000 ($8,034) but the highest price it achieved was £500,000 ($803,000). Bolton was sentenced to seven years.

Device RETAILED at $8K USD, but Thailand bought wholesale and paid upwards of $30K USD EACH. Scam upon scam.

Why the Taiwanese middle man? Just <deleted>' money laundering.

[Expatthailover]

17 minutes ago, Peabody said:

Device RETAILED at $8K USD, but Thailand bought wholesale and paid upwards of $30K USD EACH. Scam upon scam.

Why the Taiwanese middle man? Just <deleted>' money laundering.

The sale of arms and security equipment is replete with overcharging all over the world.

It is a disgrace.

2 academics ( from uk and usa) did a study which showed due to cronyism and hiding behind the terrorism 'bogeyman' that countries like uk, usa were paying the equivalent of 10% of gdp

Yes it galls but to suggest it is a problem peculiar to thailand or even a thai trait is utterly unfair and totally incorrect.

[jayboy]

23 minutes ago, Thian said:

No need to use language like that.

 

If you go to the Toyota dealer, watch a demonstration of their cars and decide to buy some of them to find out the cars have no engine after delivery. Would that make you have the brain of a cockroach as well??

 

The army was cheated by a Taiwanese national....

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Security Centre filed fraud charges against the firm, which is managed by a Taiwanese national, for alleged false advertising concerning the specifications of the devices.

 

The plaintiff told the court that the Taiwanese executive had demonstrated how to use the devices and distributed catalogues to the military officials before the Security Centre purchased the eight detectors for Bt1.3 million each.

 

Let me make it simple for you.There is a world of difference between buying the products of a world class company like Toyota (where there is redress for mistakes) and a two bit scam merchant.Even in the case of the armed forces purchasing equipment from a reliable known source there is a duty for those in charge of procurement to undertake an intensive scrutiny to assure value for money and suitability of purpose.

 

None of the normal scrutiny took place in the case of the GT200 purchase.It is absurd to suggest that the blame should mainly be attributed to the crooked Taiwanese salesman (and equally absurd to suggest as you have that this might have been because the Thais could not read the manual).

 

The procurement committee completely failed in its duties.In the context of a culture where over invoicing (likely in this case), corruption, incompetence are common/endemic, particular care should have been taken to ensure transparency.It was not - and the slovenly, possible criminal results are there for all to see.

 

Needless to say there will be no accountability.There will be no proper investigation.Nobody will be punished.there will be no media outcry or credible journalistic investigation.The reaction from most astute Thais will be to presume there was some corruption but nothing too unusual.Let it pass.In China or Vietnam if an abuse had been found in the military the consequences might well have been  ....let's say "terminal".

 

And there will always be gullible innocents - the ubiquitous "useful idiots" - to defend the disgraceful episode and the army's role in it.

 

It is true that in the overall scheme of things this episode is small potatoes.But it's illustrative of the true horror of the system.

[jayboy]

3 minutes ago, Expatthailover said:

The sale of arms and security equipment is replete with overcharging all over the world.

It is a disgrace.

2 academics ( from uk and usa) did a study which showed due to cronyism and hiding behind the terrorism 'bogeyman' that countries like uk, usa were paying the equivalent of 10% of gdp

Yes it galls but to suggest it is a problem peculiar to thailand or even a thai trait is utterly unfair and totally incorrect.

Nobody has suggested it's a problem peculiar to Thailand.What's peculiar to Thailand is that it's out of control and there are little if any consequences for the criminals involved if the corruption comes to light.

[Artisi]

5 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

 

This is my favourite part; 

 

"...powered by the user's static electricity..."

 

Me thinks certain well-connected people do not want this trial to proceed as it would show who was actually responsible for the purchase, and that could be a wee bit embarrassing...

 

do you REALLY think that might be true, even a little bit?

[Artisi]

3 hours ago, JOC said:

Wow....!!

Device of the century...

And only 1.3 million each......Where can I buy one?

Better still, I have a really nice well maintained toll bridge generating millions of dollars a year, tax free - it's located on one of the best harbours in the world - I am willing to let it go for  $A 1,000,000 and can discount it 2.5% for cash. 

Please PM me if interested.

[bluesofa]

2 hours ago, tracker1 said:

The 6 person procurement committee surely must have copped a whopper out of this  ! wonder who they were ?
 
e the 6 member precurement team
  
looks likr

I'd think they got more than just a burger out of it.

Sent from my SM-J730GM using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app