The Rolls-Royce bribery scandal that sent Thai national airline into nosedive

[webfact]

 

By Thai PBS World’s Political Desk

 

A bribery scandal involving Thailand’s national airline and British jet engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce is back in the media spotlight after the Thai anti-graft agency concluded that their engine procurement deal three decades ago was “unlawful”.

 

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) found that two top executives of Thai Airways International (THAI) at that time violated a 1959 law against corruption in state organizations and agencies when the national flag carrier purchased Rolls-Royce engines in a deal worth well over 14 billion baht.

 

The NACC on July 18 resolved to indict former finance minister Thanong Bidaya, who oversaw the deal as THAI board chairman, and Kaweepan Ruengpaka, who was the airline’s vice president for finances at the time.

 

They are among 11 former senior officials of the airline investigated in connection with the bribery scandal. Only Thanong and Kaweepan are facing legal action, while the others have been subject to disciplinary action or seen their charges dropped. One of the accused has passed away.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/the-rolls-royce-bribery-scandal-that-sent-thai-national-airline-into-nosedive/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-07-25

 

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[RandiRona]

29 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thai anti-graft agency concluded that their engine procurement deal three decades ago was “unlawful”.

So we hope to get engine less submarine bribery report ,say in 2050? Based on the current standards of 3 decade ETA?

[law ling]

From the OP: 

 

"The bribery involved payments totaling US$36.3 million”

 

as is often the case here, you almost have to admire the scale of the corruption ...

 

(... and the snail-pace of the investigation.)

[Willy Wombat]

Slow down Thai authorities.

 

A 30 year investigation is way too fast.

[kwonitoy]

17 minutes ago, Willy Wombat said:

Slow down Thai authorities.

 

A 30 year investigation is way too fast.

But they can appeal the case, so that resets the clock again

[ThaiFelix]

Yes the case needs to be slowed down as some of the criminals are still alive.  However as pointed out, the appeals can still ensure that crime does pay in Thailand if you hold the right position.

[ThailandRyan]

1 hour ago, law ling said:

From the OP: 

 

"The bribery involved payments totaling US$36.3 million”

 

as is often the case here, you almost have to admire the scale of the corruption ...

 

(... and the snail-pace of the investigation.)

This along with the Malaysian MbB 1 scandal shows how endemic corruption is within governments, yet they drag their heels and slowly look away for many years before they do anything about it.  Thai Airways continued to hemorrhage money even after the engine scandal with endemic corruption by allowing people to fly for free (Dont you know who I am syndrome), folks being removed from first class seats and moved rearward, for which they had payed for so these freebies could be given and so on...... 

[Bangkok Barry]

The statute of limitations for the alleged dereliction of duty has expired.

 

However, only the last batch of payments was taken into consideration as the 20-year statute of limitations had expired for the bribery that took place during the first two deals.

 

It's not just a Thai thing, but why is a crime no longer treated as a crime after a certain period of time? I don't get it.

[herfiehandbag]

Aha!

Rolls Royce is a foreign company.

 

The farangs are responsible...

[mikebell]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Thai anti-graft agency concluded that their engine procurement deal three decades ago was “unlawful”.

Thai Justice grinds exceedingly slowly!  I bet lots of Thai Generals are quaking in their beds at night.

[ThailandRyan]

22 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

The statute of limitations for the alleged dereliction of duty has expired.

 

However, only the last batch of payments was taken into consideration as the 20-year statute of limitations had expired for the bribery that took place during the first two deals.

 

It's not just a Thai thing, but why is a crime no longer treated as a crime after a certain period of time? I don't get it.

Statute of limitations

A statute of limitations, known in civil law systems as a prescriptive period, is a law passed by a legislative body to set the maximum time after an event within which legal proceedings may be initiated. In the United States, a government agency is permitted by the Congress to create under federal regulations its own statute of limitations.Wikipedia

[Orinoco]

31 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

It's not just a Thai thing, but why is a crime no longer treated as a crime after a certain period of time? I don't get it.

+1 

[thaibook]

the important part of teh pbs origina article is that the penalty for corruption is a prison sentance (unlikely to be demanded for such old and honourable men) or a fine of 2,000 - 40,000 Baht.  Yes, tht is the trade off - earn hindreds of millions and face the prospect fo a maximum fine of 40,000! 

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, herfiehandbag said:

Aha!

Rolls Royce is a foreign company.

 

The farangs are responsible...

To be honest I am not surprised in the slightest that procurement execs (buyers) from Thailand were involved in some bribery or payments, I would be more surprised if they weren't ... a bit embarrassed by RR though.

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

Statute of limitations

A statute of limitations, known in civil law systems as a prescriptive period, is a law passed by a legislative body to set the maximum time after an event within which legal proceedings may be initiated. In the United States, a government agency is permitted by the Congress to create under federal regulations its own statute of limitations.Wikipedia

Yes. My question was why?

[hotchilli]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) found that two top executives of Thai Airways International (THAI) at that time violated a 1959 law against corruption in state organizations and agencies when the national flag carrier purchased Rolls-Royce engines in a deal worth well over 14 billion baht.

Thai airways was a money making venture for all to cream off of.

That's why it made billions in losses.

Did it falter, no.

Dit it go under, no

Did it survive... yes.

The gravy train rolls on.

 

[khunPer]

A least they got airplanes with engines, that's better than something without an engine...

[Chongalulu]

4 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

The statute of limitations for the alleged dereliction of duty has expired.

 

However, only the last batch of payments was taken into consideration as the 20-year statute of limitations had expired for the bribery that took place during the first two deals.

 

It's not just a Thai thing, but why is a crime no longer treated as a crime after a certain period of time? I don't get it.

The rationale is that over time witness memories become unreliable and evidence corrupted or even lost. The exceptions to this are usually murder where new evidence can surface many decades after an unsolved crime (dna)or rape ,especially of a minor where the victim  only comes forward to complain when an adult.

[86Tiger]

 

 

I would almost consider taking a $36 mill bribe to pay a 40,000Baht fine 30 years later.

 

Geez.

[Pib]

7 hours ago, kwonitoy said:

But they can appeal the case, so that resets the clock again

yea...but the Thai appeals process moves pretty fast...10-15 years max.  By then all the alleged crooks should be dead.

[Andycoops]

8 hours ago, mikebell said:

Thai Justice grinds exceedingly slowly!  I bet lots of Thai Generals are quaking in their beds at night.

There is no such thing as justice here and the generals are usually quaking when with their Mia Noi's...

[Joe Farang]

"In January 2017, Rolls-Royce admitted to UK authorities that it had bribed Thai government officials between 1991 and 2005 as part of three separate deals to purchase aircraft engines for THAI."

 

That's no surprise then. The dirty English Farang and the Scam company Rolls Royce are responsible for all the problems with Thai Airways

[internationalism]

so the scandal broke 5.5 years ago and only now anti-corruption commission gave it's verdict.

High profile cases, like that, should be speed up, given priority. The RR had admitted to given bribes, so the case is clear.

If those 2 do appeal, in 3 years case against them will be dropped, as would pass 20 years from crime.

And why not recover bribe money, as well as damages they all made to state funds. Freeze all their assets 

[thaibook]

1 hour ago, internationalism said:

so the scandal broke 5.5 years ago and only now anti-corruption commission gave it's verdict.

High profile cases, like that, should be speed up, given priority. The RR had admitted to given bribes, so the case is clear.

If those 2 do appeal, in 3 years case against them will be dropped, as would pass 20 years from crime.

And why not recover bribe money, as well as damages they all made to state funds. Freeze all their assets 

do you realy mean you expect people to live on their official income?  Next you will be saying you expect people to work.

[off road pat]

On 7/25/2022 at 1:34 AM, ThaiFelix said:

Yes the case needs to be slowed down as some of the criminals are still alive.  However as pointed out, the appeals can still ensure that crime does pay in Thailand if you hold the right position.

..."Crime does pay in Thailand if you hold the right position.".. This is true all over the world, not only for Thailand !!! But in Thailand it's far too obvious !!!

[Excel]

3 minutes ago, off road pat said:

But in Thailand it's far too obvious !!!

In fact promoted from the top down