THE FORMER governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Juthamas Siriwan, was yesterday sentenced to 50 years in jail for accepting US$1.8 million (Bt62 million) in bribes from an American couple seeking the rights to host a Bangkok film festival.

The Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases also sentenced her 43-year-old daughter, Jittisopha, to 44 years in jail for helping hide the ill-gotten cash in overseas bank accounts. The court ordered authorities to seize the funds found to have been earned dishonestly from the bribery scandal.

Juthamas and Jittisopha spent the night in detention yesterday after the court declined to grant them bail. The lower court referred their request for bail to the Appeal Court, which did not make a decision regarding the matter immediately.

Their lawyer, Tanakorn Waekwari, sought a temporary release, offering bail of Bt1 million each. The defence is expected to appeal against yesterday’s court verdict.

Juthamas, 70, and her daughter appeared at the court in black yesterday but they avoided the media. They were accompanied by their lawyer and a small group of people close to them.

The mother and daughter were heard sighing from time to time while the court read the verdict, during a session that lasted almost three hours.

The court found the former TAT governor guilty of committing malfeasance by accepting bribes from the American businesspeople Gerald and Patricia Green from 2002 to 2007 in exchange for the rights to organise the Bangkok International Film Festival.

Juthamas denied that that she had abused her power as TAT governor and argued that she was not involved with any procurement for the film festival. Jittisopha argued that the $1.8 million in her overseas bank accounts were from her own business with the Greens and that the money had nothing to do with her mother.

The court, however, was not convinced by their arguments.

Juthamas was found guilty on 11 counts, with six years’ imprisonment on each count totalling 66 years. However, according to the law, a convict cannot be imprisoned for longer than 50 years. Jittisopha was found guilty on 11 counts, with four years’ imprisonment on each count totalling 44 years.

Public prosecutors filed the case against Juthamas and her daughter in August 2015.

Juthamas and her daughter yesterday were put behind bars following a delay in the court’s ruling on their bail applications. The pair sought release on bail, offering a guarantee of Bt1 million each. The primary court, however, passed on the bail request to the Appeal Court. The lower court said it feared the defendants might flee the country due to the tough penalty.

NACC to seize assets abroad

“They colluded to avoid free competition in favour of Gerald Green and Patricia Green,” the court verdict said, referring to the Los Angeles-based couple behind the bribery.

The court found that the American couple made 59 money transfers into the bank accounts of Jittisopha and her unnamed friends, totalling $1.82 million.

The Greens served time in US jail for running the sophisticated graft scheme, which saw them funnel money to Juthamas over a period of five years to secure rights to run the annual Bangkok International Film Festival.

The contracts enabled the couple to generate more than $13.5 million in revenue, according to a statement by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) about its probe into the case against the Greens.

Last Friday, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) said it would seize an estimated Bt65 million in overseas assets belonging to Juthamas and her daughter. The TAT ex-governor had earlier faced an NACC investigation for being “unusually rich” after leaving public office.

The anti-graft agency said it would forward the case to the Office of the Attorney-General for further action on asset seizure. Based on a money trail provided by the FBI and the US Justice Department, the ill-gotten money was found to have been deposited in several foreign bank accounts in five countries and territories, namely the United Kingdom, Ireland, Singapore, Jersey and Switzerland.

SEVERAL organisations yesterday demanded that officials involved in the alleged extrajudicial killing of a young Lahu activist be immediately transferred out of the area to prevent any intimidation of witnesses.

The demand was made via a joint statement released by the Cross-Cultural Foundation, the Centre for Protection and Revival of Community Rights, and the Human Rights Lawyers Association.

The statement added that either the Rights and Liberties Protection Department or the National Human Rights Commission should ensure the protection of witnesses so that they can testify without fear about what actually happened.

In addition, the statement emphasised that senior officials should not interfere in the investigation into the extrajudicial killing either openly or secretly.

Chaiyapoom Pasae, a “role-model” teenager, was shot dead at a military checkpoint in Chiang Mai’s Chiang Dao district on March 17 under murky circumstances. Witnesses and soldiers have given conflicting information on what actually happened.

Preeda Nakpiew, a lawyer from the Cross-Cultural Foundation, told The Nation yesterday that at this point his team had difficulty accessing some information related to the case, especially as some witnesses were worried about speaking about local officials.

“So, we now have to focus on hard evidence,” he said.

Chaiyapoom was the second hilltribe victim of extrajudicial killings in the North since the middle of last month.

Sumitchai Hattasarn, who heads the legal team for Chaiyapoom’s family, emphasised yesterday that Chaiyapoom – just like Abe sae Moo, a Lisu man – was accused of trying to hurl a hand grenade against officials to resist arrest.

“And just like Abe, he is accused of drug offences,” he said.

Abe’s family has already lodged a complaint with the government’s complaint receiving centre in Chiang Mai and is waiting for justice.

“Now, my team will look into the extrajudicial killing of Chaiyapoom. We will examine autopsy results and we will consult experts to determine whether the projectile trajectory and other evidence matched what the soldiers claimed,” Sumitchai said. Preeda is in his team.

The team is seeking justice for Chaiyapoom, who was accused by soldiers of resisting their operation at a checkpoint with a knife and hand grenade and of engaging in illicit drug trade. People in Chaiyapoom’s close circle described him as a role-model teenager and a young activist for good causes.

Preeda said state officials should stop defaming Chaiyapoom.

“Police had better check as to whether the shooting of Chaiyapoom was reasonable,” he said.

His team has not been able to meet Phongsanai Saengtala who has been in custody and is a key witness in the Chaiyapoom case.

Chaiyapoom was with Phongsanai when his car was stopped at the military checkpoint on March 17. It is believed Phongsanai knows what really happened.

According to Sumitchai, lawyers for Chaiyapoom could not reach Phongsanai because his family |was still reluctant to grant |access.

“We have been trying to reach him all along but his family has still not given the authorisation,” Sumitchai said.

Phongsanai and Chaiyapoom were school friends.

National police commissioner Pol General Chakthip Chaijinda said he had not given any special instructions in the Chaiyapoom case, because officials involved would proceed in line with the legal process.

“There were many similar cases before too,” he added.

Chakthip said he had not yet watched the CCTV footage about Chaiyapoom’s killing.

On Tuesday, Army chief General Chalermchai Sittisart said he had watched the clip but did not think it provided clear answers to questions that the public might have about Chaiyapoom’s death.

The survey is based on the 2014 population and household census. The estimate forecasts the population in national, urban and rural levels from 2015 to 2050 and region and state levels from 2015 to 2031.

There are three levels to estimate the growth of population: low, medium and high.

Myanmar had a total population of over 51.4 million on the night of March 24, 2014: 24.8 million males and 26.6 million females, announced the department.

The survey said population in Yangon Region will reach about 10.5 million in 2031.

According to population and household census list in 2014, more than 7.3 million people are living in the region, and it is about 14.3 per cent of the total population in Myanmar.

Population growth in 2050 will reach 37 per cent in Kayah State, 32 per cent in Kachin State and 27 per cent in Nay Pyi Taw, respectively. The survey said Ayeyawady Region, Magway Region and Mon State will see the least population growth and the remaining regions and states will have regular population growth.

Population growth and ratios of males and females will be known by studying the survey. It will provide help to set national level policies, to manage natural resources and to supervise transport, health, education, other services and research.

The department announced a series of reports about the 2014 population and household census. The pilot population list was announced in August 2014 and major census report was announced in May 2015. Job opportunities and task report are announced in March 2016 and religious report was announced in July 2016, respectively.