Thai officials cleared in Bangkok airport scandal - investigating panel

BANGKOK: -- Thai officials have been cleared of bribery charges in the purchase of bomb-detecting scanners for Bangkok's new airport, an investigating committee said.

'From the facts, the committee found nothing suspicious' that would confirm the bribery claims, the panel said in a statement.

No evidence of suspicious payments was uncovered in the investigation into the purchase of 26 CTX 9000 luggage scanners from US-based firm InVision Technologies, it said in an eight-page summary.

The committee also released a copy of a letter from the US Justice Department sent to Thai Attorney General Kampree Kaocharern which said it found no evidence of payments by InVision or its agents.

'To date, the (US) Department of Justice has found no evidence that any payments were made by InVision or its agents to Thai officials, or, that if an offer was made, that the offer was accepted,' read the letter dated June 8.

The allegations surfaced in December 2004, when US regulators found a 'high probability' that InVision Technologies was aware that its agents or distributors had either offered or given money to politicians and parties in Thailand, China and the Philippines.

InVision paid more than 1.8 mln usd in fines to settle the case with the US Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission, clearing the way for General Electric to buy the firm and rename it GE InVision.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said the probe's findings would restore public confidence.

'I read the investigation reports and it is clear' that no one received payments, he told reporters.

Thaksin last month threatened to block GE InVision from government contracts, saying the bribery scandal had damaged the kingdom's reputation.

-- AFX/ Agencies 2005-06-09

BANGKOK: -- Thai officials have been cleared of bribery charges in the purchase of bomb-detecting scanners for Bangkok's new airport, an investigating committee said.

Judging by the articles in today's press, it appears the opposition was less than convinced by the investigating committee's impartial findings. The fun continues...

Edited June 10, 200521 yr by ovenman