Rolls-Royce bribery investigation to conclude by end of the year: NACC

[webfact]

Rolls-Royce bribery investigation to conclude by end of the year: NACC
By THE NATION

 

 

BANGKOK: -- THE NATIONAL anti-graft agency is expected to conclude its ongoing investigation into the high-profile Rolls-Royce bribery scandal by the end of the year.

 

Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit, chairman of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), said the anti-graft agency was in the process of acquiring evidence and questioning witnesses. He added that the investigative team would provide a progress report every two months, the National News Bureau of Thailand reported yesterday.

 

The NACC chairman said the investigative team had been in contact with Britain’s anti-corruption agency to request information about the case. He also said the agency expected the case to be concluded by the end of this year. The ongoing investigation is focused on allegedly unlawful dealings between the British car and engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce and Thai Airways International.

 

Earlier this year, the Serious Fraud Office of the United Kingdom disclosed that Rolls-Royce had paid bribes to Thai government and Thai Airways officials through regional “intermediaries” in exchange for deals to purchase Rolls-Royce engines. About Bt1.2 billion in bribes was allegedly paid to officials involved in three major deals from 1991 to 2005, according to the Serious Fraud Office.

 

Watcharapol’s remark came as the NACC secretary-general Sansern Poljieak expressed concerns that it would be difficult to trace the financial trail of the bribes.

 

“We are worried about the examination of the money trail in an attempt to determine who was involved [in the bribery scandal]. There may be limitations. This is not easy because we need to conduct an in-depth examination of the people involved,” Sansern said.

 

“But we have to do it because it’s a policy,” he added.

 

Sansern said relevant authorities in the United States and the United Kingdom had offered their cooperation to the NACC regarding the scandal.

 

He also said the anti-graft agency was preparing to submit a report indicting former Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Juthamas Siriwan for fraud within a week so that the Office of the Attorney-General could file a lawsuit against her. 

 

Sansern said the move was to enable the NACC to confiscate Bt65 million that Juthamas accepted illegally from an American couple who she helped secure a contract to host the Bangkok International Film Festival between 2002 and 2007. He said such a lawsuit would help the NACC seize Juthamas’ overseas assets more easily and quickly.

 

The Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases last week sentenced Juthamas to 50 years in jail for accepting bribes and her daughter Jittisopha to 44 years’ imprisonment for helping hide the bribes in her overseas bank accounts.

 

Sansern said the NACC would use the case as a model for other investigations involving the confiscation of assets hidden overseas by corrupt state officials in cooperation with foreign authorities.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30311102

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-04-03

[JerryinTH]

Nothing will come out of it. Who was PM in those years again? Ah yeah, riiiight. 

[Hayduke]

Any company that strikes any sort of deal with the government has to pay various off-line ‘considerations’ in order for the deal to go through. This is not a one-off occurrence; it’s business as usual.

 

As per the unwritten rules, everyone normally ‘plays the game’ and pretends it’s not happening. Yet sometimes (especially when foreigners are involved) this normally well-oiled process runs slightly off the rails.

 

The whole RR thing smells like the day-to-day process has gone somewhat awry. And more like the roaches have been caught out in the open when the lights came on than anything else. It’s certainly not part of any ‘principled’ fight against corruption.

 

But the system is resilient and all of this will most likely disappear behind the usual veil of smoke and mirrors.

 

Nothing will change.

Edited April 3, 2017 by Hayduke

[boomerangutang]

half the reason the  investigation takes so long, is to hammer out agreements between accused and authorities - as to how much protection money needs to change hands to shield the guilty.

[MobileContent]

Thai Airways was always under the Finance Ministry and The Ministry of Transportation.

 

This could backfire to the former Chuan government as Suthep was the former Transport Minister and possible also to the former Chavalit government and if I remember correctly Chavalit was the PM and earlier the Transport Minister.

 

No need to keep the Thai public waiting until year-end. Just check the EVP of Procurement since 1990 and you can be sure that everyone got a cut up to the top.

 

 

[Ricardo]

It's all the farangs' fault, for discovering these murky payments-to-intermediaries at Rolls Royce, and then mentioning in public the deal with TG for aircrafy-engines, it make Thailand lose face.

 

Much like the film-festival scandal, it took exposure in the US, to force eventual action here.

 

Fortunately for the poo-yais this doesn't happen very often.

[natway09]

Found a big rug......as soon as we get a suitable broom,,,,, case closed.

In English that means "when the dealings done"

[MaxLee]

2 hours ago, boomerangutang said:

half the reason the  investigation takes so long, is to hammer out agreements between accused and authorities - as to how much protection money needs to change hands to shield the guilty.

 

Hush hush,...... under the carpet quickly!!!!!!..... before the end of the year.....

[candide]

2 hours ago, MobileContent said:

Thai Airways was always under the Finance Ministry and The Ministry of Transportation.

 

This could backfire to the former Chuan government as Suthep was the former Transport Minister and possible also to the former Chavalit government and if I remember correctly Chavalit was the PM and earlier the Transport Minister.

 

No need to keep the Thai public waiting until year-end. Just check the EVP of Procurement since 1990 and you can be sure that everyone got a cut up to the top.

 

 

No problem. They have previously announced they will only consider the 2005 case and have already pointed fingers at PPT. 

[elgordo38]

3 hours ago, boomerangutang said:

half the reason the  investigation takes so long, is to hammer out agreements between accused and authorities - as to how much protection money needs to change hands to shield the guilty.

Oh I get it a sunset clause. 

[thesetat2013]

You read this you criminals associated with this investigation? You have until the end of the year to collect your monies and assets and flee the country. So nice of the NACC to provide you with an ETA of their progress

 

 

[bangrak]

Why doesn't the NACC 'conclude' its 'investigation' now, why wait till the end of the year? When it'd be because the guys of the NACC don't have a good paper shredder, I'm sure there are some persons who would be very happy to give them 'the Rolls of' the shredders, at once and for free... And maybe an incinerator on top of it.