Jail For US Pair In Thai Film Fest Graft Scandal

[wintermute]

It would be rather amusing to see what this old corrupt pu yai would do locked up in an American style federal prison. She'd be crying for diplomatic help in no time.

[slapout]

The US should attach an agreement with all foreign aid packages that the receiving country must accept and hold in their prisons a specified number of US detainees and their foreign cohorts in crime. Make sure its a general population prison and the ultimate destination will be determined by drawing of number assigned to each facility.

[asiawatcher]

I wish the stringers calling themselves 'reporter' would get the story right! Paying bribes ? - technically "yes" - maybe - demanded payoffs by Siriwan - absolutely yes. A demand is made, to comply they pay, they get fined USD250,000 and six months in the slammer - do you think bribery would get you a lot more - of course! This is also conspiracy to defraud the Thai Govt of funds but of course, being a police issue, that will never get resolved. The onus here is on the fact the money was demanded by Siriwan, and there is still nothing being done about it. And her daughter was also part of the scam. If the greens got 6 months, Thailand will cite the sentence or lack thereof and fine Siriwan about Baht 100,000 and suspended jail term and the money remains in Thailand. Let's see if the anti corruption Commissioner gets off his tail and "does the right thing". Doubt it!

[Buchholz]

NACC may seek indictment of Juthamas

By THE NATION, AGENCIES

Published on August 15, 2010

The national anti-graft agency is likely to seek legal indictment of former Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Juthamas Siriwan in connection with a bribery scandal involving Hollywood film-makers, its spokesman said yesterday.

Klanarong Chantik, spokesman for the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), said in a telephone interview that his agency could only ask Juthamas to defend herself before the NACC. If she did not show up, the NACC had no authority to bring her for investigation and it would mean that she had opted not to defend herself.

The NACC had asked the former TAT governor to give information but she had sent a letter to the agency, saying she needed time to prepare and look through documents on the matter. But Juthamas has yet to turn up at the NACC.

However, Klanarong said, if the NACC found that she was guilty, it would then forward the case to the Office of the Attorney-General so the public prosecutors could indict her and take the matter to court.

On Thursday, a Los Angeles court sentenced film producers Gerald Green and his wife Patricia to six months in jail and six months of home detention for paying US$1.8 million (Bt57.4 million) in bribes to Thai officials, including Juthamas, in exchange for a deal to manage the Bangkok International Film Festival between 2002 and 2007. They must also pay $250,000 in restitution.

The couple was found guilty of paying bribes to the former tourism chief via bank accounts in Singapore, the isle of Jersey and Britain set up in the names of Juthamas's daughter Jittisopa Siriwan and a friend.

US prosecutors said the Greens had received more than US$13.5 million in revenue from the contract. Mrs Green was also found guilty of submitting false United States tax returns.

Klanarong said the case against Juthamas was being investigated by NACC commissioner Methi Krongkaew, who attended the court hearing in Los Angeles on Thursday in the Greens' case.

The case against Juthamas would progress once Methi returned to Thailand.

Juthamas has not appeared to defend herself since being notified by the NACC in late May.

The authorities involved in her case say that her whereabouts are unknown.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/2010/08/15/national/NACC-may-seek-indictment-of-Juthamas-30135882.html

[Buchholz]

NACC may seek indictment of Juthamas

The NACC had asked the former TAT governor to give information, but she had sent a letter to the agency, saying she needed time to prepare and look through documents on the matter. But Juthamas has yet to turn up at the NACC.

Interesting update in this morning's other paper. Juthamas has still not answered the NACC and has been given until early next month to defend herself against charges of accepting bribes of 60 million baht in in the case.

Both she and her daughter remain under indictment in the USA.

[axact]

Does anyone think the film festival would have happened if bribes were not paid ?

The contract would have probably gone to Thai who even if well connected would probably have to share the profit.

Does any business in Thailand get away with not having to pay off someone I wonder ?

Edited November 22, 2010 by axact

[Buchholz]

Does anyone think the film festival would have happened if bribes were not paid ?

That's something the Brown's are contemplating inside their prison cells.

[Buchholz]

UPDATE

BRIBES

Juthamas mum on charges

By The Nation

While US couple have been sentenced for bribing ex-TAT chief, Thai system plods along at snail's pace

Thai authorities reacted awkwardly yesterday after reports that the US film-making couple convicted of bribing former tourism chief Juthamas Siriwan have been sentenced to six months in jail in their homeland, which has brought into the spotlight Thailand's snail-paced legal action against her.

Gerald Green, 78, and Patricia Green, 55, who were convicted last September on charges of conspiracy, violating anti-corruption laws and money-laundering, also face six months' home detention and must pay US$250,000 (Bt8 million) restitution.

The US punishment flies in the face of the Thai justice system, which has not even formally charged Juthamas with accepting the couple's $1.8 million bribes when the Americans sought to organise the Bangkok Film Festival during the government of Thaksin Shinawatra.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission disclosed yesterday that it had only sent Juthamas details of the charges against her less than two weeks ago. The normal NACC process requires that Juthamas respond to the charges before it decides whether to seek formally to prosecute her.

She has not surfaced to defend herself with the NACC, and the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) yesterday admitted that it did not know her whereabouts, or even whether she was still in Thailand.

As a further update, it was revealed that USA authorities filed papers in court last week seeking to extradict Juthamas and her daughter to face still pending charges there.

They said Thailand has not responded to their long-standing request to send them to the USA.

They were charged in January 2009 with an indictment of 8 charges for laundering US$1.8 million in bribes which Juthamas allegedly received from the Greens.

A spokesman for Thailand's Attorney-General said yesterday that they were still investigating the case.

.

Edited August 4, 2012 by Buchholz

[OzMick]

"That's something the Brown's are contemplating inside their prison cells."

"Gerald Green, 78, and Patricia Green, 55, who were convicted last September...."

Brown/Green colour blindness? Chameleons?

Edited August 4, 2012 by OzMick

[animatic]

And does anything happen to the former TAT governer ?

All in good time

Thai time that is

She'll be Gerald Greens age before she gets any time,

and then they will says she's too old to serve it.

[Buchholz]

"That's something the Brown's are contemplating inside their prison cells."

"Gerald Green, 78, and Patricia Green, 55, who were convicted last September...."

Brown/Green colour blindness? Chameleons?

LOL... Thanks.

I completely missed that one. Oops.

Browns... Greens... Whites... so many family names with colors.

[simple1]

"We have received all necessary information in the case, which only requires her response to proceed," said Methi Krongkaew, head of the NACC subcommittee investigating the scandal. "We sent her a notification of the charges on July 31 but she has never come to us to defend herself."

Plenty of opportunity for Juthamas and her daughter to leave Thailand? Not in the same league, but perhaps they will buy a house next door to Thaksin's primary residence, being family and all that...

[Time Traveller]

I wish the stringers calling themselves 'reporter' would get the story right! Paying bribes ? - technically "yes" - maybe - demanded payoffs by Siriwan - absolutely yes. A demand is made, to comply they pay, they get fined USD250,000 and six months in the slammer - do you think bribery would get you a lot more - of course! This is also conspiracy to defraud the Thai Govt of funds but of course, being a police issue, that will never get resolved. The onus here is on the fact the money was demanded by Siriwan, and there is still nothing being done about it. And her daughter was also part of the scam. If the greens got 6 months, Thailand will cite the sentence or lack thereof and fine Siriwan about Baht 100,000 and suspended jail term and the money remains in Thailand. Let's see if the anti corruption Commissioner gets off his tail and "does the right thing". Doubt it!

That's exactly it. The only way any thai government contract can be awarded to a company is by paying bribes. I'm sure the Americans prefer not to, but if they wanted the contract they had too. Bribery is entirely ok in Thailand if the farang is paying and the farang suffer the penalites.

Thailand has expressed interest to host a future world expo. Whatever happens they won't win it on merit.

[Buchholz]

US Struggles to Extradite Thai Official

Prosecutors revealed in a closely watched corruption case they are struggling to bring a Thai official into the U.S. to face charges. In a court filing made late last week, prosecutors said reporting publicly on an extradition is “highly unusual…and strongly discouraged for many policy and case specific reasons,” but Thailand has not yet responded to a U.S. request to bring Juthamas Siriwan, the former Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, and her daughter Jittsopa Siriwan, to the U.S.

They were charged in January 2009 in an eight-count indictment with laundering $1.8 million in bribes the elder Siriwan allegedly received from husband-and-wife film producers Gerald and Patricia Green. (The Greens were convicted in 2009 and sentenced to six months in jail, and prosecutors backed down on an appeal for a longer sentence.)

U.S. District Judge George Wu ruled in early February that the case be delayed until July 30. But prosecutors said in last week’s filing that the July 30 hearing was no longer necessary due to the lack of a response from Thailand.

Continues:

http://blogs.wsj.com...-thai-official/

Wall Street Journal

.

Edited August 4, 2012 by Buchholz