SPOTLIGHT
While few will admit to greasing some palms to get things done, it is common practice
Surasak Tumcharoen.
Bribery allegations are common in Thai politics with many politicians facing such accusations, including former House speaker Yongyuth Tiyapairat, who was allegedly involved in pay-offs to kamnans in Chiang Rai in exchange for their support in last year's election. |
Bribes may be offered and taken anywhere. Only those who hand them out and those who pocket them keep it quiet.
From politicians at parliament to vegetable vendors at markets, kickbacks can represent a quick way to get things done, albeit unethically or illegally.
Bribes can be paid anywhere. And the Supreme Court has proved to be no exception.
Last month, a snack box stuffed with two million baht in cash was left at the court office.
Prepared in 1,000-baht notes, the money was offered to a clerk attached to the Supreme Court.
Three key members of the legal team working for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his spouse, Khunying Potjaman, were sent to jail for contempt of court in relation to what many see as attempted bribery.
They are Pichit Chuenban, who was working on the Ratchadaphisek land case, legal assistant Supasri Srisawat and legal coordinator Thana Tansiri.
Pichit Chuenban, a lawyer for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was sentenced along with two other members of Mr Thaksin's legal team to six months in jail after one of them offered a snack box containing two million baht to a court official. |
Mr Thana, who delivered the snack box in a bag, claimed he intended to give a snack box containing chocolate to the recipient, but picked up the wrong bag.
The Supreme Court judges, however, found his claim unconvincing and sentenced the trio to six months in prison each on charges of contempt.
Mr Thaksin denied any involvement in the attempted pay-off bid and assigned a close aide, Pongthep Thepkanchana, to denounce such an unbecoming act.
Mr Thaksin even offered to testify against his own legal staff in future court trials.
Only months before the snack box scandal, an appointed senator allegedly offered kickbacks to his colleagues, offering them one million baht in cash plus a Mercedes Benz in exchange for voting for Buri Ram senator Thaweesak Khidbanchong as Senate Speaker.
Mr Thaweesak, a protege of maverick politician Newin Chidchob, ran against a few candidates, including Prasopsuk Boondej, who finally won the position.
A panel was set up to investigate the alleged bribery scam, but nobody was found guilty.
Auditor-General Jaruvan Maintaka also has a kickback story to tell.
She says she was offered bribes by unidentified people, including one offer worth as much as 100 million baht.
Khunying Jaruvan said she rejected the offers, but declined to go into detail.
An unusually tight-lipped Khunying Jaruvan faced negligence charges for choosing to do nothing about the kickback bids she mentioned.
National Counter Corruption commissioner Vicha Mahakhun says petitions lodged against government officers for allegedly taking bribes had piled up at his office.
Bribery allegations also haunt former House speaker Yongyuth Tiyapairat.
Mr Yongyuth, another close aide of Mr Thaksin, was allegedly involved in pay-offs to a dozen kamnans in his constituency of Chiang Rai in exchange for their support in last year's election.
The scandal forced Mr Yongyuth to step down as House speaker, although he has denied all charges.
One MP, who spoke on condition of anonymity, conceded he had occasionally bribed people, ranging from government officials to front-line politicians and members of cabinet.
The MP said he bribed them with cash to win public-sector projects. Decades ago he worked as an obscure provincial contractor.
The amount demanded by recipients had risen from 5% to 15% of the value of the government contract at stake, and the money had to be paid in advance.
Bribes are not necessarily made in cash. They can also take the form of an expensive suburban home, a luxury car or a promotion up the bureaucratic ladder.
Many businessmen have decided to become politicians because they get tired of paying bribes. Once part of the system, they find themselves receiving bribes, too.
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