Businessman gets 9 more years in Jail over fake bomb detector

[snoop1130]

Businessman gets 9 more years in Jail over fake bomb detector

By Jintamas Saksornchai, Staff Reporter

 

Two soldiers demonstrate use of GT200 bomb detector on live TV in 2010. Image: Channel 3

 

BANGKOK — A court on Wednesday convicted and sentenced a Thai entrepreneur to nine years in jail for selling bogus bomb detectors to the Justice Ministry.

 

The Don Mueang district court said Sutthiwat Wattanakij and his company Ava Satcom Ltd. were guilty of fraud for selling the so-called GT200 devices worth 6.8 million baht to the ministry’s Central Institute of Forensic Science from 2007 to 2009.

 

Full Story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2018/10/10/businessman-gets-9-more-years-in-jail-over-fake-bomb-detector/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2018-10-10

[webfact]

GT200 distributor convicted again, for Bt7m fraud on forensic institute

By THE NATION

 

File photo

 

A COURT yesterday once again found Avia Satcom Ltd and its top executive, Suttiwat Wattanakij, guilty of fraud, this time for supplying the fake GT200 devices to the Central Institute of Forensic Science, falsely claiming that they could detect bombs and narcotics.

 

The Bt6.8-million deal was one of several GT200 sales involving several state agencies and distributors. The Armed Forces had insisted on the device’s efficacy even after tests overseas had proved them to be useless. 

 

The Don Muang Kwaeng Court had convicted the company and its executive for a similar deal with another state agency. Suttiwat was found guilty last month in a case involving the Royal Aide-de-Camp Department and sentenced to nine years in prison. 

 

The department had bought Bt9 million worth of GT200s and related supplies in 2010.

 

‘Substandard device’

 

Suttiwat and three other defendants in the latest case denied wrongdoing, but the judge found him guilty and handed him another nine years in jail while ordering the firm to pay a Bt18,000 fine. Two other defendants, both employees of Avia Satcom, however were acquitted.

 

The handheld British-manufactured gadgets, which were supposed to detect all sorts of contraband, from bombs to drugs, were sold to various security units notably the Army.

 

The controversy was thrust into the limelight years ago when the manufacturers were convicted of fraud in 2013 after the British government, which had considered purchasing the devices for its troops, scrutinised the instruments.

 

Initially, the forensic institute defended its procurement decision, saying the device was an effective scientific instrument that could be used for detecting bombs and narcotics. Sometimes, it was used to scan for explosive substances on the bodies of suspects. Earlier, the device, which contains nothing inside, was used against suspected insurgents in the deep South. 

 

 

The court said yesterday that the company had deceived the Central Institute of Forensic Science into believing that the device was widely used around the world. “But the GT200 is a substandard device which does not work [to detect anything], and they thus caused damage to the institute,” the court said in the verdict.

 

The company was ordered to return a sum of Bt6.8 million paid for the devices to the forensic institute.

 

On September 18, the same court had convicted the company and the same executive over a Bt682-million deal with the Army. Two executives of the company were sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment and ordered to return the purchase amount to the Army. 

 

However, none of the officials responsible for making the decision to buy such fake devices have faced any prosecution. The national anti-graft committee has accepted complaints but investigation continues at a slow pace. A huge lot of GT200s were purchased in 2008-9 when many current government leaders were in power.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30356207

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-10-11

[AhFarangJa]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

However, none of the officials responsible for making the decision to buy such fake devices have faced any prosecution. The national anti-graft committee has accepted complaints but investigation continues at a slow pace. A huge lot of GT200s were purchased in 2008-9 when many current government leaders were in power.

Well, I never......

[Darcula]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

the device, which contains nothing inside

Just like the tin pots running the show.

[bluesofa]

8 minutes ago, Darcula said:

5 hours ago, webfact said:

the device, which contains nothing inside

Just like the tin pots running the show.

also, like the device, the lights are on but there's no one home.

 

[Ulic]

Well, they have there scapegoat. Now just pile on. He obviously does not have information on the kickbacks because that was handled at a higher level direct from the manufacturer who are not in Thailand.

[fullcave]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

However, none of the officials responsible for making the decision to buy such fake devices have faced any prosecution.

TIT 

[JulesMad]

Why am I punished for selling the best-working time-machine ever?!? Is it my fault that buyers are too stupid to think?

PS Nice (shared) profits BTW

[khunPer]

Originally developed to search for golf balls, and about as efficient as a pair of wire hangers for dowsing, sometimes it might even work...????

[pieeyed]

Some of the people involved in the purchasing should have their bank account checked from 2009-2010.