Former Prime Minister Samak Still Facing Corruption Charges

[phupaman]

Hi All.

TRT..PPP. Corrupt to the core,I saw Samak on TV yesterday at the appeal court, I must say he did not look very happy, Both defendants were granted bail of Bt 200,000.what are the chances they join an old friend in Cambodia? probably a day before the appeal , Odds on ,I would guess.

phupaman.

[sriracha john]

Fire truck scandal makes Samak reaching deeper in his pockets

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej has to pay defence lawyers' fees after losing a court battle as plaintiff suing two graft busters for offending remarks linking him to the fire truck scandal, Assets Examination Committee chairman Nam Yimyaem said on Tuesday.

Instead of winning 328 Million Baht in damages, Samak was ordered by the Civil Court to dole out Bt60,000 in defence costs on top of his legal expenses, Nam said with glee.

Samak sued Nam and investigative panel member Prasert Boonsri for offence committed as state officials to have violated him by linking him to the scandal and accusing him of causing 1.9 Billion Baht damages to the state when he was the Bangkok Governor.

He demanded the two to pay him compensation of 164 Million Baht each.

The court ruled in favour of the defence on grounds that Nam and Prasert made the remarks under the mandate granted to their office.

- The Nation (today)

City tries to annul fire truck sale

Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra has begun terminating City Hall's contract to buy fire tracks and boats from the Austrian firm Steyr Co. MR Sukhumbhand on Tuesday said he had written to the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) on Monday and asked it to seek a court order to end the contract. The move is in line with a recent resolution from the NCCC that the contract should be annulled due to its many irregularities. The Governor also asked the OAG to seek a court injunction for Krung Thai Bank to withhold payment of the fifth installment of 15.9 million euros, or about 730 million baht, to Steyr. The installment is due on Feb 10. The total purchase price is 6.69 billion baht. MR Sukhumbhand asked the OAG on Jan 26 whether the contract could be revoked and the fifth installment withheld, but did not hear back from the office. Former Bangkok Governor Samak Sundaravej signed the contract with Steyr on Aug 27, 2004, his last day in office. The project has been dogged by scandal, including allegations of price-fixing.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/13...fire-truck-deal

[sriracha john]

BKK Governor Seeks Injunction against Payment of Fire Trucks

The Bangkok Governor has submitted a letter with the Office of the Attorney General asking for its help to seek a court injunction against the payment for the controversial purchase of fire trucks from an Austrian supplier.

Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Baripatra has revealed that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration or BMA has forwarded a letter to the Office of the Attorney General or OAG, asking the agency to seek a court injunction against Krung Thai Bank's fifth instalment of the 790 million baht payment on the BMA's purchase of fire trucks and equipment after the OAG ruled the purchasing contract cannot be nullified.

The deal scheduled February 11th as the deadline for the payment.

The BMA's letter also urged the OAG to give a speedy response to its request asking for legal suggestions and to accelerate the legal process in seeking a court order to nullify any endorsements concerning the purchase, as the NACC earlier ruled the deal was unlawful.

The Bangkok Governor insisted the BMA is ready to provide the OAG with related information and evidence for its consideration.

- TOC / 2009-02-03

[ozterix]

In the past few months Thai Visa has looked more and more like a tabloid.

I know you guys like sensationalism but can you AS REQUESTED by different people change the title to

FORMER PRIME MINISTER and not NEW as the new one is not facing corruption yet.

this is grossly misleading

oz

[sriracha john]

The need for a thread title update is evident, if the mods would be kind as to please oblige.

perhaps even a more specific one to differentiate between the number of "former" Prime Ministers Thailand has now, eg.

Former Prime Minister Samak Still Facing Corruption Charges

Edited February 4, 2009 by sriracha john

[ballpoint]

The need for a thread title update is evident, if the mods would be kind as to please oblige.

perhaps even a more specific one to differentiate between the number of "former" Prime Ministers Thailand has now, eg.

Former Prime Minister Samak Still Facing Corruption Charges

No real need to give a name. "Former Prime Minister still facing corruption charges" covers most of them.

[sriracha john]

errrr.... you do have a point as 3 out of the last 4 do... Thaksin, Samak, and Somchai....

but still, a little mod assistance would help readers and be much appreciated...

Former Prime Minister Samak Still Facing Corruption Charges

Edited February 4, 2009 by sriracha john

[animatic]

Former Prime Minister Samak Still Facing Corruption Charges

Ditto makes more sense since he is three back in the running now.

[JetsetBkk]

...a little mod assistance would help readers and be much appreciated...

Former Prime Minister Samak Still Facing Corruption Charges

Totally agree. I read the email title "New Prime Minister Still Facing Corruption Cases" and thought "Hello! It has started already".

Have to wait a little longer, I suppose.

[TAWP]

Quick, someone better write something offensive so a mod will visit this thread ever again...

[sriracha john]

errrr.... you do have a point as 3 out of the last 4 do... Thaksin, Samak, and Somchai....

but still, a little mod assistance would help readers and be much appreciated...

Former Prime Minister Samak Still Facing Corruption Charges

Thank you, mods...

[sriracha john]

Firetruck case set to go again

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) is going to resubmit its recommendation that many high-profile politicians be prosecuted for their role in the controversial fire vehicle deal.

The implicated politicians include former Bangkok Governors Samak Sundaravej and Apirak Kosayodhin, former Interior Minister Bhokin Bhalakula, and former Deputy Interior Minister Pracha Maleenont.

"We will forward our recommendation as well as our report on the case to the Attorney-General next week," NACC member Wicha Mahakhun said yesterday.

If the Attorney-General agrees to the recommendation, the accused politicians will be tried at the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders.

This case concerns a 6.68 Billion Baht deal to buy fire vehicles from an Austrian supplier and centers on a memorandum of understanding signed by Bhokin and the then-Austrian Ambassador to Thailand in 2003.

Samak, as a caretaker Bangkok Governor, later signed a purchase contract.

After being elected as Samak's successor, Apirak showed reluctance to go ahead with the purchase but finally opened a letter of credit for it. The letter of credit allowed the purchase contract to take full effect.

Several fact-finding committees found that the fire vehicles purchased under the deal were overpriced.

Late last year, Apirak stepped down as Bangkok Governor because the NACC recommended that he be prosecuted.

However, the Office of the Attorney-General suggested that the investigative report needed more documentary evidence and witnesses.

"We've completely followed the suggestion. So, we are going to forward the case to the Attorney-General again," Wicha said yesterday.

- The Nation / 2009-03-20

[Jai Dee]

Firetruck scandal should be dealt with by August

Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra is expected to conclude negotiations over the controversial purchase of firetrucks from an Austrian supplier in the near future. "The case should be concluded by August," Sukhumbhand said yesterday, adding that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) was preparing information to be used in talks with SteyrDaimler PuchSpezialfahrzeug.

The firm had been contracted to supply firetrucks, but several factfinding panels concluded that the deal was mired in corruption.

Right after Sukhumbhand was elected as Bangkok governor earlier this year, he vowed to tackle the issue.

"If necessary, I will also go to the US to talk to General Dynamics Corporation, the parent company of SteyrDaimler Puch," Sukhumbhand said, adding that he hoped the talks would be completed before the BMA was obliged to pay its sixth instalment in August.

"If it doesn't work out, we will have to file a lawsuit," he said.

According to Sukhumbhand, Austrian Ambassador Arno Riedel said the contract with the SteyrDaimler Puch was a not a government to government paper - a key point to the negotiation.

Earlier, it was believed that the firetruck deal was related to the two governments given that it was based on an memorandum of understanding signed by Bhokin Bhalakula, then interior minister, and then Austrian ambassador to Bangkok.

Source: The Nation - 27 March 2009

[bungy007]

I do wish they would enforce capital punishment for large scale corruptions [against the people], like they have successfully been doing in China lately.

The only way to get rid of the snakes.

Amen to that! What about starting with a certain Khunying who having been convicted is still to see the inside of a jail!

[sriracha john]

a NEW corruption case to be added to Samak's list...

Japan firm accused of bribing Bangkok officials

Reports from Tokyo on Monday say a former executive of Nishimatsu Construction Co. has told Tokyo prosecutors the firm gave a bribe of more than 400 Million Yen (125.5 Million Baht) to Bangkok city officials in return for "favors" connected to awarding a tunnel project contract in 2003. The report did not name any Thai officials, but said they worked at the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA). In 2003, Samak Sundaravej, now the PM, headed the BMA as elected Governor. Quoting "sources," the Japanese reports said the former executive of the major contractor is being investigated by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office on suspicion of violating the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Law for bringing in around 100 Million Yen from overseas without reporting it to customs. During the investigation of the alleged currency violation, other cases have popped up. The Bangkok case involves a 2 Billion Baht contract to bore a tunnel in northern Bangkok, as part of an anti-flooding project. Nishimatsu and a local firm - unnamed in the Tokyo reports - won the contract in September 2003. Bangkok-based staff of Nishimatsu in Thailand prepared bribes after consulting executives of Nishimatsu's Thai partner, the Japanese reports said. "The payments were apparently made to (Thai) government officials and officials in charge of overseeing bids for the project just before and after the project was awarded," said a report by Kyodo news agency. The Tokyo press reports said that the Nishimatsu executive now under police questioning in Japan claims he was not directly involved in bribing the officials, but "in return for favors to secure the tunnel construction project, the company paid a total of more than 400 Million Yen to Thai government officials.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=128745

UPDATE... it's moved to the NACC...

Graft inquiry turns up heat on Samak

NACC investigates tunnel bribe claims

The National Anti-Corruption Commission has launched an inquiry into alleged corruption involving former Bangkok Governor Samak Sundaravej in City Hall's drainage tunnel project. The anti-graft agency acted on allegations made by the Office of the Auditor-General and the House Committee on Anti-Corruption.

NACC member Prasart Pongsiwapai will head the inquiry, the commission's spokesman Klanarong Chanthik said yesterday.

The drainage tunnel scandal was exposed in July last year in Japan when Nishimatsu Construction admitted to prosecutors it had given a 400 million yen (145 million baht) bribe to Thai officials to win the drainage tunnel project.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/1541...p-heat-on-samak

[animatic]

Maybe Samak planned to cook in the tunnel!

Rather than just cook the books about the tunnel.

Edited April 22, 2009 by animatic

[sriracha john]

NACC forms panel to probe Samak's case

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) established a sub-committee to investigate former Bangkok Governor Samak Sundaravej who is facing a corruption charge in the scouring tunnel construction case.

According to NACC spokesman and member Klanarong Chantik, the Office of the Auditor-General and the parliamentary committee on corruption prevention and suppression filed charges against the former Bangkok Governor and his Deputy Sahat Banditkul on grounds of malfeasance.

The two people were accused of violating the law on the government bidding process in the construction of Khlong Saen Saeb and Khlong Lat Phrao scouring tunnels.

National Anti-Corruption Commissioner Prasart Pongsiwapai was appointed to chair of the investigating panel.

- ThaiNews / 2009-04-21

[sriracha john]

Thai Ambassador to France to Be Questioned about Preah Vihear Controversy

The National Anti-Corruption Commission, or NACC, is likely to question the Thai Ambassador to France over the Preah Vihear temple controversy.

NACC member Somluck Jatkrabuanphol revealed the latest development in the ongoing investigation on the charge against the Cabinet of former Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej for wrongfully making a decision that favoured Cambodia registering Preah Vihear Temple as a world heritage site.

The investigation team will decide if the decision of Samak's Cabinet violated Article 190 of the Thai Constitution.

Somluck, who is in charge of the investigation, said the only remaining task for the probe team is to grill Thana Duangrat, the Thai Ambassador to France, whom former Foreign Affairs Minister Noppadol Pattama claimed acknowledged the process of a joint communique between Thailand and France that led to handing the ancient site over to Cambodia.

Noppadol also claimed Thana was present at the signing of the joint communique. Thana was expected to give his response before the Commission on May 29th, but he had a prior engagement and postponed the date.

Somluck revealed that she and her investigative team may travel to Paris in the middle of the month to interview Thana there, in order to speed up the ruling over the charge. They cannot wait until Thana will return to Thailand in July to take a new post in Malaysia.

Somluck added that if the NACC indicts 28 members of the Samak Cabinet over this charge, the matter will be forwarded to the Constitution Court, which will rule whether three current Cabinet members involved in the charge will have to step down from their posts.

She said there are two opinions within the NACC over this matter. One side says the current Cabinet members will not have to resign if indicted, and the other side says the opposite.

-- Tan Network 2009-06-03

[sriracha john]

Attorney- General to intervene on the graft case for 6.2 Billion Baht fire trucks

The public prosecutors have failed to form a decision on the number of suspects to be tried for irregularities relating to the 6.2 Billion Baht deal to buy fire trucks for the city administration.

The case is slated for a final review by the Attorney-General.

Of the list of seven suspects named by the National Anti-Corruption Commission, the public prosecutors were split on whether to prosecute in full or the partial list, Deputy Attorney-General Waiyawut Lotrakul said on Wednesday.

Due to the split decision, the case will be forwarded next week to Attorney-General Chaikasem Nitisiri to render his opinion, he said.

-- The Nation 2009-06-03

[sriracha john]

Fire truck graft case still stalled

Prosecutors have failed to agree whether to indict all or only some of the seven parties accused of corruption in connection with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's tainted purchase of fire trucks and boats for 6.2 billion baht.

A special committee formed by the Attorney-General's Department and including people from the National Anti-Corruption Commission was set up to decide whether to indict all seven parties as recommended by the NACC.

Deputy Attorney-General Waiwut Lortrakul said after the committee's meeting on Wednesday that a majority of its members agreed that all of them should be indicted. Others thought some of the accused should be spared because they were not in the wrong.

The NACC earlier recommended charges of corruption be brought against former Bangkok Governor Samak Sundaravej, former Interior Minister Pokin Polakul, former Deputy Interior Minister Pracha Maleenont, former Commerce Minister Watana Muangsuk, former Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin, former Chief of BMA's Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department Police Major-General Athilak Tanchukiart, and Steyr Co of Austria.

Continued:

-- Bangkok Post 2009-06-03

[sriracha john]

FIRETRUCK SCANDAL

Prosecutors split over BMA fire truck case

A majority of prosecutors on a panel assessing the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's (BMA) 6.2 Billion Baht fire-truck and boats procurement have agreed to indict seven suspects charged by the National Counter Corruption Commission.

They include former Prime Minister and former Bangkok Governor Samak Sundaravej and former Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin.

The five others are former Interior Minister Bhokin Palakula, former Deputy Interior Minister Pracha Maleenont, former Commerce Minister Watana Muangsuk, the BMA's Public Disaster Prevention Office Director Police Major-General Athilak Tanchukiat, and Austrian company Steyr Daimler Puch, which made the trucks and boats.

After the meeting, Deputy Attorney-General Waiyawut Lortrakul, who chairs the panel, said the group had not been able to reach a consensus. While most agreed the seven suspects should be indicted, some believed some suspects should be acquitted.

The NCCC accused the seven of violating Article 157 of the criminal code.

Waiyawut said the panel would make a report with two differing opinions by public prosecutors to give to Attorney-General Chaikasem Nitisiri for a final decision.

He said all seven could file complaints seeking justice to the Attorney-General. If the Attorney General agreed with the NCCC to indict all the suspects, the case would be taken to the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders.

If the Attorney-General disagreed with the NCCC, the latter should appoint their own lawyer to file a suit against each suspect.

The BMA's purchase of 315 fire trucks and 30 fire-fighting boats at a highly inflated price from Steyr Daimler Puch is believed to have cost the country about 1.9 Billion Baht.

-- The Nation 2009-06-04

[sriracha john]

Former Bangkok Governors to Be Prosecuted Over Fire Truck Procurement

Seven members of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration are to be prosecuted for their involvement in the fraudulent procurement of fire trucks and boats.

Deputy Attorney-General Waiyawut Lortrakul said members of a work panel set up by the Office of the Attorney-General have accepted the decision by the National Anti-Corruption Commission to indict the seven accused.

The accused include former city Governors Samak Sundaravej and Apirak Kosayodhin, former Interior Minister Pokin Polakul, and former Commerce Minister Wattana Muangsuk.

Waiyawut said the seven suspects were charged for abuse of duty or corruption due to the fraudulent procurement of 315 fire trucks and 30 fire-fighting boats from the Austrian firm, Steyr Daimler Puk Company, at a cost of 6.2 Billion Baht.

He said the panel would submit its findings and more than 100 pages of supporting documents to Attorney-General Chaikasem Nitisiri.

Following Chaikasem's assessment, the case will be sent to the National Anti-Corruption Commission for approval. If the anti-graft panel and the prosecution agree to an indictment, the case will be filed with the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders.

-- Tan Network 2009-06-04

[robblok]

What i wonder, if someone is guilty is he obliged to pay money like that back ? Do they ever try to get money back or is it all a big show.

[Plus]

Nothing was paid so far, the contract is stalled.

[slimdog]

Nothing was paid so far, the contract is stalled.

5 payments have been made so far:

Feb 2007 = 845,000,000 baht

Aug 2007 = 743,000,000 baht

Feb 2008 = 600,000,000 baht

Aug 2008 = 700,000,000 baht

Feb 2009 = 750,000,000 baht

The sixth payment out of nine is due in Aug 2009..

[sriracha john]

5 payments have been made so far:

Feb 2007 = 845,000,000 baht

Aug 2007 = 743,000,000 baht

Feb 2008 = 600,000,000 baht

Aug 2008 = 700,000,000 baht

Feb 2009 = 750,000,000 baht

The sixth payment out of nine is due in Aug 2009..

What i wonder, if someone is guilty is he obliged to pay money like that back ? Do they ever try to get money back or is it all a big show.

As per above amounts, the only one who could afford that sort of repayment is Thaksin.

[Plus]

Nothing was paid so far, the contract is stalled.

5 payments have been made so far:

Feb 2007 = 845,000,000 baht

Aug 2007 = 743,000,000 baht

Feb 2008 = 600,000,000 baht

Aug 2008 = 700,000,000 baht

Feb 2009 = 750,000,000 baht

The sixth payment out of nine is due in Aug 2009..

Thanks, I totally missed that.

Has any of the trucks been delivered?

[slimdog]

Has any of the trucks been delivered?

Not sure of the actual numbers, but according to the press, hundreds of trucks are currently being stored by the Port Authority of Thailand, for which the BMA are being sued for unpaid storage (117,000,000 baht). And more keep on arriving...

Basically every six months:

• The BMA acknowledges that there maybe corruption in the deal
  
• The BMA threatens to cancel the contract
  
• The BMA threatens not to pay the next installment
  
• The BMA stores the new firetrucks delivered
  
• The BMA pays the next installment
  
• The Bangkok City Assembly begs the Bangkok Governor to utilise the vehicles
  
• The Bangkok Governor promises to look into the matter
  
• The NCCC promises a court case really soon
  

[Plus]

The NCCC promises a court case really soon

Ahh, but the case is already with Attorney General now, got you!

[seri thai]

The need for a thread title update is evident, if the mods would be kind as to please oblige.

perhaps even a more specific one to differentiate between the number of "former" Prime Ministers Thailand has now, eg.

Former Prime Minister Samak Still Facing Corruption Charges

No real need to give a name. "Former Prime Minister still facing corruption charges" covers most of them.

Can't it be merged with the "Elephants banned from BKK" thread?