Eight officials charged over graft

They have been charged for allegedly submitting bills for equipment and structures that exceeded their value, officials and police said, adding that the bills were submitted as part of funds budgeted for a nationwide mobile communication project.

A criminal case against the eight officials was filed at a police station in Uttarathiri Township in Nay Pyi Taw on January 18. Police said a rumour one of the eight had committed suicide was false.

Ye Htut, presidential spokesperson and deputy information minister, told Eleven Media last week the government was investigating alleged illegal activity at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. He was replying to reports that senior officials at the ministry – including former minister Thein Tun, who recently resigned, and the managing director and the chief engineer of Myanmar Posts and Telecommunications – were questioned over corruption and bribery allegations. 

“It is true that the case is under investigation, but we cannot release details about that at the moment,” Ye Htut said.   

Thein Tun was deputy minister of the ministry – now called the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology – during the previous military regime and promoted to minister by the current civilian administration. President Thein Sein allowed Thein Tun to resign from the post of his own volition on January 16.

The minister resigned amid rumours that the government was likely to allow the sale of mobile phones at a low price. So, speculation is mounting that low-cost mobile phones will not be made available to the public until the end of January.