Ex-tourism governor charged for accepting bribes

BANGKOK, August 24 (TNA) - The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has concluded that Juthamas Siriwan, former governor the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), accepted bribes from an American couple who won a contract to host the Bangkok International Film Festival between 2003 and 2006.

The anti-graft panel will forward the case to the Office of the Attorney-General for prosecution.

Klanarong Chantik, a member of the NACC, said on Wednesday that the NACC agreed with the investigative conclusion of its subpanel chaired by NACC official Medhi Krongkaew that Juthamas had accepted bribes worth over 10 million U.S. dollars from the American film-making couple when she was the TAT governor.

According to the NACC, the American couple paid the bribes by cashier cheque and money transfers, some of which went to the overseas account of Juthamas’s daughter, Jittisopha.

The NACC concluded that Juthamas was found guilty of violating the Money Laundering Control Act B.E. 2542, and the Act of Penal Code in the Offence of State Organization Staff Act, B.E. 2502.

Her daughter, Jittisopha, was also found guilty of being an accomplice in Juthamas’s bribery case. (TNA)