Why are we letting corrupt men go free?

But any illicitly obtained assets are probably long gone, and neither defendant waited around to hear the verdict. Closing the barn door after the horses have bolted won’t do much good.

If the authorities believe a suspect might flee while awaiting trial, normal practice is to request that a court deny bail, even though, by law, the suspect is innocent until proven guilty. Thus I suggest that, in corruption cases, when charges are brought, a court be asked to have the assets put in escrow and the accused in custody.

Also, those with solid evidence of corruption are likely to be partners in the crime, and if they turn state’s evidence, their lives and those of their families are likely to be in danger. Thus, to encourage whistleblowers, I suggest informants be awarded triple the value of fines levied against the guilty, along with full assistance in finding new lives. The whistleblower’s reward could be collected from the criminals.

Burin Kantabutra

Bangkok