Thailand considers death penalty for officials convicted of graft

[webfact]

Thailand considers death penalty for officials convicted of graft

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai officials convicted in corruption cases involving more than 1 billion baht ($28 million) could face the death penalty under a proposal approved on Monday by the military-appointed National Reform Steering Committee.

 

Analysts say such a stern punishment for all forms of graft was a further way for the ruling junta to control its opponents, including allies of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup.

 

Of the 162 steering committee members present on Monday, 155 voted in favor of the measure. It also stipulates that officials who are found guilty of corruption worth less than 1 billion baht could face up to five years in prison.

 

"The meeting agrees with this measure," a member of the committee said in a televised session. "We will take recommendations from legislators before forwarding them."

 

The measure must now be submitted to Cabinet, parliament and then to Thailand's constitution committee for deliberation before it is adopted. Legislators say the process could take some time.

 

The junta took power in a 2014 coup after months of protests that led to the ouster of civilian prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin's younger sister.

 

Since then, it has sought to burnish its graft-busting reputation by cracking down on shady patronage networks.

 

However, it has been reluctant to touch the monarchy, military and religion, Thailand's most powerful institutions.

 

The junta has instead focused on silencing its opponents, including supporters of Yingluck and her brother, by imposing restrictions on public gatherings and by jailing several opposition members.

 

Thaksin and his allies have commanded the ballot boxes since 2001, helping to elect a series of populist governments that chafed against institutions aligned with the royalist elite, including the military and Bangkok-based middle classes.

 

Yingluck is on trial on corruption charges stemming from a rice subsidy scheme that critics say incurred billions of dollars in losses.

She denies wrongdoing but faces up to a decade in jail if found guilty. The new measure would not be likely to affect her.

 

"There should be no impact on Yingluck. This is more a measure to pre-empt future graft and is intended as a warning shot more than anything," Kan Yuenyong, from the Siam Intelligence Unit think tank, told Reuters.

 

"It is also another measure to help keep Thaksin's faction in check," he said.

 

Previous legislation provided capital punishment for officials convicted of bribery, although no official has ever been executed for the crime.

 

($1 = 35.7600 baht)

 

(Reporting by Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Writing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre; Editing by Paul Tait)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-01-09

[Denim]

Possible death for more than 1 Billions ...... 5 years for less than 1 billion. 

 

Bit of a giant leap in the proposed punishments.

 

Should be a 100, 000 baht safety zone between the two. Punishment in this zone would just be to hack off a limb or two.

 

Good accountants will really have to count the saleungs now to keep things 1 baht short of death.

 

Of course .....will never actually happen.

Edited January 9, 2017 by Denim
spelling

[Enoon]

 

"Since then, it has sought to burnish its graft-busting reputation by cracking down on shady patronage networks."

 

But not its own "dimly lit" networks.

 

Edited January 9, 2017 by Enoon

[jerojero]

Always extremes it seems. Either pathetic minimal sentences, or the harsh hard-core reactions. Why no middle ground? Thainess?

[Fookhaht]

Two thoughts come to mind:

1) Why not add torture first, just to drive home the point? 

 

2)  Does it work in China?  They've been snuffing corrupt politicians for a few years now.  Has it helped?  Too lazy to Google if the stats are out there.  If the stats ARE there, too skeptical to believe any Communist Party published results. 

[scorecard]

 

Note the article is from Reuters, never balanced.

[realenglish1]

Although I do support the death penalty  this is absurd Lets say someone does steal the prescribed  amount to qualify for the death penalty The leaves for the west

Do you really think they will extradite that individual if he is facing the death penalty for corruption.

It will never happen

 

This is just a bad idea and to be truthful will not deter anyone  

[Kasset Tak]

It should start at 5 years in prison for officials convicted of graft but it should be on a scale like this:

0-10 million = 5years

10-20 million graft = 10years

20-50 million = 20 years

50-100 million = life imprisonment

over 100 million = death sentence

 

Graft and kickbacks have been a part of Thailand for a long, long time but from historically being at a 5-10% level but according to my friends (provincial governors, former MP's, district leaders and so on) it made a drastic jump to 30-50% under Dr. Thaksin and back to those levels under his sister so I guess that the 1billion level is set because there are only a handful people that can be convicted for that level of graft...
 

[Ace of Pop]

That's Thaksins nightmare


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[Daryle]

A good enough way as any to cull Politicians, Army and Police officers.


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[jamesbrock]

Death penalty for officials convicted of graft is very easy to say when you control the judiciary, and are likely to do so for the foreseeable future.

[anotheruser]

This is an excellent plan, if your aim is to make your country look like a nuttier banana republic. I am sure the UN will be very supportive of this.

[outsider]

Leveling the playing field, perhaps? If one gets caught, he/she will have to 'pay' to escape the death sentence. One billion baht is a lot of money and can buy a lot of things. Even life, I suppose. This 'evens out' the revenue, so to speak. Unable to rob from citizens anymore, they're now turning on to their own species.

[Jimbo2014]

HUB OF MURDER! - king P.

 

[Misterwhisper]

Ridiculous!

 

How many officials in recent memory have actually embezzled or acquired through corruption such a staggering amount like 1 billion baht (28 million $)? None that I am aware of.

 

On the other hand we have scores who've had their hands in the public cookie jar to the tune of several 100 million baht. And what's in store for them? "UP TO" 5 years in prison? Laughable.

 

Oh, and really clever officials will ensure to just stop short of the 1 billion baht mark. 990 million is a nice little sum, too, and will help to tide them over until they're being released a couple of years later and enjoy the fruits of their nefarious labors. 

 

IMO, Kasset Tak (post #8) has suggested a much more sensible penalty structure, one that really can work as a deterrent if actually enforced.

 

But then again we have to look at who's actually come up with that proposal. I am sure there are quite a few familiar names among those 162 members of the National reform Steering Committee, names that we potentially may have heard in the past in connection with... you know what.

[Ace of Pop]

Thaksins Companies


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[mike324]

April 1st came yearly this year? hehehe

[hansnl]

23 minutes ago, anotheruser said:

This is an excellent plan, if your aim is to make your country look like a nuttier banana republic. I am sure the UN will be very supportive of this.

The UN?

Who takes the UN seriously?

[elgordo38]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

"There should be no impact on Yingluck. This is more a measure to pre-empt future graft and is intended as a warning shot more than anything," Kan Yuenyong, from the Siam Intelligence Unit think tank, told Reuters.

Dah yeah sure. 

[elgordo38]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

religion,

Yes they have been "chasing" the good or is it bad monk for months now but he is outwitting them at every turn. Yes the 3 sections mentioned are sacrosant. 

[anotheruser]

3 minutes ago, hansnl said:

The UN?

Who takes the UN seriously?

 

Nobody until they are trying to get permanent seats on it's various councils. As we all know Thailand will never be taken seriously by the UN so you are right. The UN is largely irrelevant when you are running a laughing stock of a country. I am sure Prayut and Kim Il Un share very similar views on the matter. 

 

 

[jesimps]

If there ever are elections again, it'll be a convenient way for the military and ruling classes to get rid of opposing (PTP) politicians. This lot are so transparent.

 

[jesimps]

25 minutes ago, Misterwhisper said:

Ridiculous!

 

How many officials in recent memory have actually embezzled or acquired through corruption such a staggering amount like 1 billion baht (28 million $)? None that I am aware of.

 

On the other hand we have scores who've had their hands in the public cookie jar to the tune of several 100 million baht. And what's in store for them? "UP TO" 5 years in prison? Laughable.

 

Oh, and really clever officials will ensure to just stop short of the 1 billion baht mark. 990 million is a nice little sum, too, and will help to tide them over until they're being released a couple of years later and enjoy the fruits of their nefarious labors. 

 

IMO, Kasset Tak (post #8) has suggested a much more sensible penalty structure, one that really can work as a deterrent if actually enforced.

 

But then again we have to look at who's actually come up with that proposal. I am sure there are quite a few familiar names among those 162 members of the National reform Steering Committee, names that we potentially may have heard in the past in connection with... you know what.

Hub of hypocrisy.

[Nbarch]

And how about bringing in the death penalty for people who overthrow a democratically elected government.

[soalbundy]

Start thinking of all the uses for an empty parliament. 

[ikke]

2 hours ago, Kasset Tak said:

It should start at 5 years in prison for officials convicted of graft but it should be on a scale like this:

0-10 million = 5years

10-20 million graft = 10years

20-50 million = 20 years

50-100 million = life imprisonment

over 100 million = death sentence

 

Graft and kickbacks have been a part of Thailand for a long, long time but from historically being at a 5-10% level but according to my friends (provincial governors, former MP's, district leaders and so on) it made a drastic jump to 30-50% under Dr. Thaksin and back to those levels under his sister so I guess that the 1billion level is set because there are only a handful people that can be convicted for that level of graft...
 

 

You forgot one ...

 

Staging a coup = Death sentence.

[soalbundy]

I don't think this could possibly be passed in parliament

[Denim]

56 minutes ago, Nbarch said:

And how about bringing in the death penalty for people who overthrow a democratically elected government.

 

Called treason elsewhere.  Patriotism here. 

[wakeupplease]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

"It is also another measure to help keep Thaksin's faction in check," he said.

Boy they must bet scared still of this man as he went 10 years ago and now just history

This place is going no where except to the bottom of the world order

 

Beautiful country with 65 million sane nice people and the rest, well self destruction paranoid  Wizards in need of Prozac lots of it

[chainarong]

Everything this junta does is against international or common laws of decency, every step of the way they give the impression of draconian and inward looking,  China that effervescence state run country , has this backward rule and it hasn't stopped corruption, the death penalty hasn't stopped anything from evolving , it doesn't stop drug traffickers nor murderers, twenty five years in the BKK Hilton would be worse than a death sentence, try that and the UN will leave U alone. ....................................................