NRSA approves death penalty for corruption exceeding one billion baht worth of ill-gotten gains

[webfact]

NRSA approves death penalty for corruption exceeding one billion baht worth of ill-gotten gains

 

 

BANGKOK: -- The National Reform Steering Assembly unanimously endorsed by 155 votes with seven abstentions a report by its political reform panel which proposed stiffer penalties, including death, against corrupt politicians.

 

Mr Seri Suwanpanont, chair of the NRSA’s political reform committee, clarified after the assembly meeting that corruption has been a serious problem that has undermined the country for a long time.

 

He claimed that his panel did not initiate the capital punishment but merely complied with the Criminal Code without any intention to hurt any particular group of people but merely intended to discourage people from getting involved in corruption.

 

Besides, he noted that only a handful of people who amassed more than one billion baht in ill-gotten gains from corrupt practices.

 

The report proposed varying degrees of punishments in accordance with the amount of money amassed from corruption: 5 years for amount less than one million baht; 10 years from amounts over one million baht up to 10 million baht; 20 years for amounts over 10 million baht up to 100 million baht; life imprisonment for amounts over 100 million baht up to one billion baht; and death penalty for amount exceeding one billion baht.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/nrsa-approves-death-penalty-corruption-exceeding-one-billion-baht-worth-ill-gotten-gains/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2017-01-10

 

[candide]

"merely complied with the Criminal Code without any intention to hurt any particular group of people"

[Raymonddiaz]

China = Thailand = North Korea? (Human rights)

[dotpoom]

2 hours ago, Raymonddiaz said:

China = Thailand = North Korea? (Human rights)

Who would have the "right" to steal over 1B Baht?

[rkidlad]

And out of the 1 billion baht, how much do you have to pay to get off?

 

1 step forwards and 2 steps back. That's the key to progress. 

[yellowboat]

Good thing Thailand is not worried about portraying a barbaric image to the outside world.  Modern governments still enacting laws which favor capital punishment for financial crimes?  Amazing how this committee always seems to have better than 90% approval on each vote. It is shameful.

Edited January 10, 2017 by yellowboat

[cedel]

They should also prosecute the one who corrupts  (who actually pay the money to corrupt people) 

[pookiki]

The amount of money is inconsequential to violating the public trust if corruption involves a person in government and/or the regime. There also needs to be a clear definition of a 'code of ethics' and 'conflicts of interest'  for public/private officials.  To put a upper limit on the amount of corruption that is deserving of the death penalty (which is ludicrous from the start) does nothing to address the offense or the need to reform the system.

[Srikcir]

Death penalties for political crimes - the favor tool for totalitarian regimes.

[robblok]

34 minutes ago, yellowboat said:

Good thing Thailand is not worried about portraying a barbaric image to the outside world.  Modern governments still enacting laws which favor capital punishment for financial crimes?  Amazing how this committee always seems to have better than 90% approval on each vote. It is shameful.

The USA has the death penalty .. Thailand on the other hand has it on the books but has not executed anyone for many years.  (in august 2009) and before that in 2003. So having it on the books does not mean much here.

 

It just means that you get a high punishment.

 

For the record I am against the death penalty (though there are exceptions but not for financial crimes). However as it is Thailand only has it on the books.. it does not really execute people.

 

IMHO 10 years in jail would be enough.. but also for corruption that is a lot less then 1 billion baht. 

[robblok]

28 minutes ago, pookiki said:

The amount of money is inconsequential to violating the public trust if corruption involves a person in government and/or the regime. There also needs to be a clear definition of a 'code of ethics' and 'conflicts of interest'  for public/private officials.  To put a upper limit on the amount of corruption that is deserving of the death penalty (which is ludicrous from the start) does nothing to address the offense or the need to reform the system.

 

The upper limit is crazy and so is the death penalty (even if its normally not carried out here). The limit should be lower and it should be 10 year plus loss of all ill gotten gains (and a fine on top of that) 

[Emster23]

"... only a handful of people who amassed more than one billion baht in ill-gotten gains from corrupt practices." Good to see that the principle is not the issue to them, merely how many they might string up. "We're only gonna kill a few, what's the fuss?".

[Eric Loh]

Always sound good on paper. Implementing it fairly and transparent is another matter. Implementation has always and will continue to be the bane of Thailand. Big on tough talk and fake promises but short on will to follow through.  

[Raymonddiaz]

2 hours ago, dotpoom said:

Who would have the "right" to steal over 1B Baht?

Death penalty is a backward thing in 2017 ( just the principle).

[Becker]

A good thing the junta gave themselves an amnesty. Not that anyone would dare come after them, of course.

[digibum]

Note to self . . . 2017 goal, adjust annual corruption budget to 999,999,999.99 baht.  

[fruitman]

2 hours ago, yellowboat said:

Good thing Thailand is not worried about portraying a barbaric image to the outside world.  Modern governments still enacting laws which favor capital punishment for financial crimes?  Amazing how this committee always seems to have better than 90% approval on each vote. It is shameful.

 

Nothing barbaric about this....stealing one billion baht from the country is more barbaric..

 

2 years in jail for pulling down some flags (while very drunk) is more barbaric imo.

[tigermoth]

1 hour ago, robblok said:

The USA has the death penalty .. Thailand on the other hand has it on the books but has not executed anyone for many years.  (in august 2009) and before that in 2003. So having it on the books does not mean much here.

 

It just means that you get a high punishment.

 

For the record I am against the death penalty (though there are exceptions but not for financial crimes). However as it is Thailand only has it on the books.. it does not really execute people.

 

IMHO 10 years in jail would be enough.. but also for corruption that is a lot less then 1 billion baht. 

The majority of states in the USA do not have the death penalty.

[Crossy]

Left hand and right hand

 

 

 

[tigermoth]

Thailand continues to go backwards. Death penalty, in countries where it is imposed is only for murder with intent. Only third world countries use it for political purposes. Most civilised western countries have abandoned the death penalty except some states in the USA which we all know has been trying for 300 years to catch up.

[Oziex1]

Does any one with a Billion ever face the music, anywhere!

[robblok]

19 minutes ago, tigermoth said:

The majority of states in the USA do not have the death penalty.

Your probably right.. but still the USA has the death-penalty and uses it unlike Thailand, here its largely a paper tiger. 

[NCC1701A]

will the executions be streamed live on Facebook?

 

this is over kill.   get it?

 

the death penalty is only for mini van drivers and Burmese scapegoats. 

Edited January 10, 2017 by NCC1701A

[yellowboat]

1 hour ago, fruitman said:

Nothing barbaric about this....stealing one billion baht from the country is more barbaric..

Sure and we all trust Thai due process and fair in balanced treatment in all legal cases.  No shortcuts will be taken and the Thai elite are above using such things political weapons.  Even in a country that has a suburb legal system, this is not a good idea.  Glad to see you are willing to stake your reputation on Thai law and due process.  

Even by biblical terms this would be barbaric;  Eye for an eye.  This sounds more like money or your life.   

[GAZZPA]

4 hours ago, cedel said:

They should also prosecute the one who corrupts  (who actually pay the money to corrupt people) 

Absolutely.

 

But you do have to ask yourself "how many people have been prosecuted for corruption of 1 billion baht or over?" 

 

That's nearly 30 million usd! A truck load of money? What about 20 million usd? not enough?

 

If you want to create and enforce a law as a deterrent then give it real teeth, for example "any government corruption mandatory prison sentence of 5 years minimum, high value theft of plus 100,000 usd death penalty", that has teeth and would, i am sure make people think twice if enforced.

 

I think this new law will scare nobody and achieve nothing.

[elgordo38]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

complied with the Criminal Code without any intention to hurt any particular group of people but merely intended to discourage people from getting involved in

Politics.

[elgordo38]

5 hours ago, dotpoom said:

Who would have the "right" to steal over 1B Baht?

If it played out like the case of the Super monk the perp would be cashed out and be long gone by the time the Keystone Kops hit full throttle. 

[tukkytuktuk]

So will Yingluck get life imprisonment?

[SOTIRIOS]

....???

 

....35 million.....to 900 million...???

 

...'let it slide'....???

 

....so 1 million US to 30 million US is okay???

 

 

[FarangFB]

5 hours ago, tigermoth said:

Thailand continues to go backwards. Death penalty, in countries where it is imposed is only for murder with intent. Only third world countries use it for political purposes.

 

So, if it was a murder with intent is ok to apply death sentence, but stealing millions of dollars from public money that could be used to help/save countless lives should get a lighter sentence?

 

If I had to choose, I'd say kill the corrupt one, the number of lives indirectly lost/damaged by the (lack of) public money they stole is certainly bigger.