Govt confident of implicating Rolls-Royce ‘bribe-takers’
Justice Minister Suwaphan Tanyuvardhana has expressed confidence the government will be able to implicate the alleged recipients of bribes worth billions of baht from UK-based engine-maker Rolls-Royce in return for lucrative business deals with Thai Airways International and other state enterprises.
Suwaphan has also consulted with the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) on new measures to prevent a repeat of bribery scandals in which politicians, bureaucrats and Thai and foreign businessmen are usually involved.
According to the justice minister, the evidence from the UK's anti-graft agency, the Serious Fraud Office, and the US Justice Department, should allow Thai authorities to identify and take legal actions against the wrongdoers.
He said there were specific internal memos provided by Rolls-Royce on when, where and how much of the illegal payments were made to regional and Thai agents to win the deals from Thai state enterprises.
He said the scandal should also serve as a lesson for the country to tighten its rules on large-scale public procurement projects.
Besides THAI, state-owned PTT and two electricity authorities were named as Thai agencies those officials allegedly took bribes to favour Rolls-Royce and US-based General Cable Corp to get business here.
The National Legislative Assembly said it would investigate a media report on another alleged bribe paid in 2006 for the procurement of a CCTV system for Parliament.