Suvarnabhumi Bomb-Scanner Case: Not Enough Evidence To Pursue Thaksin

[webfact]

No charges in bomb-scanner case

The Nation

NACC says not enough evidence to pursue Thaksin, Suriya; will probe six top officials for malfeasance

BANGKOK: -- The national anti-graft agency yesterday decided not to take legal action against the politicians implicated in the CTX bomb-scanner scandal, citing lack of evidence against them.

However, the National Anti-Corruption Commission will focus its investigation on six senior bureaucrats - all former members of the Airports of Thailand (AOT) executive board - for suspected malfeasance, said NACC member Vichai Vivitsevi.

He said the eight commissioners present at yesterday's meeting had voted not to pursue the legal case against former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and ex-transport minister Suriya Juengrungruangkit.

"We found that there was insufficient evidence to prove without doubt that the accused had actually committed the alleged wrongdoing," Vichai said.

Klanarong Chanthik, the other NACC member and the agency's spokesman, was absent from yesterday's meeting. He was a member of the post-coup Assets Examination Committee (AEC), which investigated and gathered information on the CTX scandal.

Vichai chairs the NACC subcommittee investigating the case involving alleged irregularities over the purchase of the US-made CTX-9000 bomb-scanners for Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport.

The scanners were said to have been purchased at inflated prices through a Thai-owned company, instead of the US producer. The AEC estimated that the irregularity had caused Bt1.7 billion in losses to taxpayers.

The case was transferred to the NACC after the term of the AEC, which had been established by the 2006 coup-makers, ended in 2008.

In 2005, the US Department of Justice and the US Securities and Exchange Commission investigated "foreign corrupt practices" by InVision, the manufacturer of CTX machines, with the alleged involvement of Thai officials.

US authorities reported at the time that Thai officials or politicians might have received more than US$10 million (now about Bt310 million) in bribes after purchasing the bomb-detectors for the new airport.

The NACC had obtained 560 pages of documents from the AEC and some 5,000 pages of documents from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.

However, the NACC members still found there was insufficient evidence to prove without doubt that Thaksin and Suriya had been involved with the irregularities, Vichai said.

The anti-graft agency, nevertheless, found evidence against six senior bureaucrats who were board members of AOT, which runs Thailand's key international airports.

They are former Transport Ministry permanent secretary Srisuk Chandrangsu (who then served as AOT board chairman), General Somchai Somprasong (former deputy board chairman) and four other ex-board members: former attorney-general Chaikasem Nitisiri, Therdsak Setthamanop, Supadej Poonpipat and ACM Narongsak Sangkapong.

The six were found to have travelled to San Francisco on a trip paid for by the CTX distributor, said Vichai.

"Their air fares, hotel rooms and golf course fees were covered by the company. Some of them even brought their wives and family members," he added.

This could be regarded as a violation of Article 149 of the Penal Code, which prohibits public officials from accepting personal benefits, said the graft-buster.

He said the AEC had overlooked the information against the six former AOT board members when it investigated the CTX scandal.

The NACC last week postponed its decision on the CTX scandal, saying it had found new evidence of high-ranking government officials being involved.

Vichai last Tuesday said that the agency had unanimously agreed on the delay, as more documents had been received from US prosecutors and justice agencies, and needed to be translated.

The documentation includes receipts and evidence of the procurement.

-- The Nation 2012-08-29

[chainarong]

Hmmm, another case of pulled heart Hamstrings , the cost to the public purse was 1 Billion plus , not bad money if you can get it .

[CBR250]

Be interesting to see if they can conclude this case before 2040. If they do, my bet is on the hot favourite "Insufficient Evidence".

[Thai at Heart]

Once again confusion reigns.

Conveyors and the such 2.6bn baht

Budget for screening equipment 4.3bn baht

Actual purchase for screening equipment 1.4bn baht, sale for 2bn

Of course they still have to pay 2.6bn, that is the original budget for the conveyors not including the screening equipment, but where did the 6bn go?

[RickBradford]

They should check the names of people related to these purchases, with the names of people building illegal resorts in protected national parks at around the same time.

I don't doubt that they would come up with a list of names of the same moochers who repeatedly treat the country as their personal money trough.

[marshbags]

Once again confusion reigns.

Conveyors and the such 2.6bn baht

Budget for screening equipment 4.3bn baht

Actual purchase for screening equipment 1.4bn baht, sale for 2bn

Of course they still have to pay 2.6bn, that is the original budget for the conveyors not including the screening equipment, but where did the 6bn go?

Anything related to the P Thai, it,s fugitive leader and past officials of his defuncted party / ies will all have a predictable pre determined outcome similar to this.

A complete whitewash across the board for not only them, but their infamous non principled supporters and low key officials.

Those left as scapegoats will either be people willing to be used and in being so, paid very highly to absorb the accusations and possible blame re. as of yet unproven responsiblity.

Sadly those who do not fit the above or non privilidged individuals, considered unimportant and therefore expendable, will be hung out to dry and left to rot in the placesThaksin, his coherts in government and evil doers of his evil, aka red shirts and otherwise should already be occupying.

Not forgetting his fellow fugutives of convicted crimes over many years, who are by way of convenience in residence in nearby countries, with Cambodia being the most convenient one of all.

marshbags

[belg]

bribe and corruption all over the place, but not enough evidence

how sad this country is going more and more downhill

[chainarong]

Be interesting to see if they can conclude this case before 2040. If they do, my bet is on the hot favourite "Insufficient Evidence".

Being generous in that timetable.

[Ban Sao]

Thaksin banked it.

[Thai at Heart]

Once again confusion reigns.

Conveyors and the such 2.6bn baht

Budget for screening equipment 4.3bn baht

Actual purchase for screening equipment 1.4bn baht, sale for 2bn

Of course they still have to pay 2.6bn, that is the original budget for the conveyors not including the screening equipment, but where did the 6bn go?

Anything related to the P Thai, it,s fugitive leader and past officials of his defuncted party / ies will all have a predictable pre determined outcome similar to this.

A complete whitewash across the board for not only them, but their infamous non principled supporters and low key officials.

Those left as scapegoats will either be people willing to be used and in being so, paid very highly to absorb the accusations and possible blame re. as of yet unproven responsiblity.

Sadly those who do not fit the above or non privilidged individuals, considered unimportant and therefore expendable, will be hung out to dry and left to rot in the placesThaksin, his coherts in government and evil doers of his evil, aka red shirts and otherwise should already be occupying.

Not forgetting his fellow fugutives of convicted crimes over many years, who are by way of convenience in residence in nearby countries, with Cambodia being the most convenient one of all.

marshbags

Of course, it is absolutely normal business for large companies to use agents in Thailand for purchasing such bits of equipment, but, the US law makes it the sellers responsibility to insure that the agent doesn't pay anything under the table. How it ever came to be discussed or acknowledged by the US seller that the difference was going to be paid as a bribe god only knows. If the US company had simply sold the product for 1.4bn, and the Thai final purchaser had bought the product for 2bn, how would the US counterpart been any the wiser?

The Thai agent could have simply banked 600mn, paid the tax and distributed the cash, and none of this would have ever come to anyone's knowledge.

[saengsureeya]

If the Thai government would put all the energy that is put in Thaksin in matters as safety and water-management, Thailand would be a better place to live in.