204 replies to this topic
Posted 2007-12-19 14:52:40
More tidbits from the FBI report:
Explains that Green's company was awarded the contract continuously for 3 years before it then lost the contract following the coup and the "senior Thai official's departure from office."
Green was born in South Africa and later became a Mexican citizen. His wife was born in Mexico. They both became naturalized US citizens in 2000.
Green's company that was awarded the contract had NO prior work experience in this field.
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They got a mountain of evidence against him and the involvement of the "Governor" (as they refer to her) in their 28-page report (which I haven't finished completely reading yet).
There's certainly ample documentation to begin proceedings against her here and I would imagine the two governments have already begun their cooperation.
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The FBI affadavit:
http://www.usdoj.gov...n-affidavit.pdf
Edited by sriracha john, 2007-12-19 14:58:45.
Posted 2007-12-19 14:54:57
 lomatopo, on 2007-12-19 14:32:25, said:
This is a bit like the CTX scandal, where GE had to report it in the U.S. but not much came of it here in Thailand.   Hundreds and hundreds of pages of documents came here to Thailand.
Posted 2007-12-19 14:55:14
nikster, on 2007-12-19 15:48:14, said: I find it quite excellent that the USA now prosecutes graft in foreign counties. This will eventually have a big impact on the most corrupt places, including Thailand. I hope the EU passes similar laws...
The USA has had these laws for years.
I agree the EU should do the same but do some countries not do this already - I am thinking Germany and Siemens?
Posted 2007-12-19 15:11:30
She is "outed" big-time in this Reuter's piece.... With her denials, it makes me wonder if she's seen the FBI affadavit as it contradicts (with lots of evidence) everything she says. It even manages to mention the CTX scandal...
U.S. arrests two in Thai film festival graft probe
BANGKOK - The United States has arrested a California-based movie executive and his wife on suspicion of paying $1.7 million in bribes to a senior Thai official to secure lucrative contracts to run a film festival in Bangkok.
In a statement on the PR Newswire, the Department of Justice (DoJ) said Gerald Green, 75, and Patricia Green, 52, had made a series of payments from 2003 to 2007 to the then governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Juthamas Siriwan.
Juthamas, who is running for parliament in a minor party in a December 23 election, denied receiving any irregular payments or, as prosecutors allege, shunting TAT contracts worth more than $10 million towards a company set up by the Greens.
"I don't know about that at all. I have no knowledge about this," she told Reuters. She confirmed that during her time as governor, the Greens had worked for the TAT, which oversaw the staging of the Bangkok International Film Festival.
U.S. investigators looking into possible breaches of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act caused a major stink in Thailand in 2005 after alleging a U.S. firm may have paid kickbacks to secure a contract for high-tech bomb scanners for Bangkok's new airport.
Although nothing was ever proven, opponents of then prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra seized upon the scandal as evidence of a graft-ridden administration.
Thaksin was ousted in a September 2006 coup, accused of presiding over "rampant corruption".
National Counter-Corruption Commission spokesman Klanarong Chantik said Thai investigators had been made aware of the case only on Wednesday and so had yet to decide whether to launch a full probe.
The DoJ said the Greens had tried to hide their bribery by using different businesses, some with dummy addresses and telephone numbers, and "commission" payments had been made through the foreign bank accounts of intermediaries.
"More than $1.7 million in payments were allegedly made for the benefit of the governor," the DoJ said.
- Reuters
Posted 2007-12-19 15:19:29
Arkady' date='2007-12-19 13:39:45' post='1714959
sriracha john' date='2007-12-19 13:59:53' post='1714986'
sriracha john' date='2007-12-19 14:34:27' post='1715034
samran' post='182379' date='2004-10-05 18:24:11'
Prakanong' date='2007-12-19 14:40:54' post='1715044
sriracha john' post='1715034' date='2007-12-19 15:34:27
samran' post='182379' date='2004-10-05 18:24
I must say some very good investigating here and you guys are surely on the right path, but it goes much deeper.......
Dig deeper and wider and you will find some more interesting stuff........
Be carefull visiting those .gov websites, use a proxy ore internet cafe. 
Alie
Posted 2007-12-19 15:21:49
Prakanong, on 2007-12-19 14:55:14, said: nikster, on 2007-12-19 15:48:14, said: I find it quite excellent that the USA now prosecutes graft in foreign counties. This will eventually have a big impact on the most corrupt places, including Thailand. I hope the EU passes similar laws...
The USA has had these laws for years.
I agree the EU should do the same but do some countries not do this already - I am thinking Germany and Siemens?
The US introduced the Foreign Corrupt Business Act in response to the Lockheed scandal in the 70s (hundreds of millions of dollars paid out in bribes to foreign governments including Italy to buy fighter planes.) Yes, some European countries have similar laws. I remember there was also a scandal in Sweden re bribes paid to India to buy Bofors guns. France and the UK are big players in arms dealing and I don't know if they have these laws but they should. The Japanese are still a big payers of slush money in Asia.
I once worked for an American owned company that uncovered bribes being paid from Hong Kong to a Chinese official in Inner Mongolia. The legal dept in Philadelphia sent a letter to the Chinese Embassy in Washington giving the details. After a sad letter from the official in Inner Mongolia proclaiming his innocence and asking for a retraction of the allegations, he was never heard of again. I took over from the guy in Hong Kong who had been fired and found a lot of interesting stuff in the files.
Posted 2007-12-19 15:32:48
Arkady, on 2007-12-19 16:21:49, said: Prakanong, on 2007-12-19 14:55:14, said: nikster, on 2007-12-19 15:48:14, said: I find it quite excellent that the USA now prosecutes graft in foreign counties. This will eventually have a big impact on the most corrupt places, including Thailand. I hope the EU passes similar laws...
The USA has had these laws for years.
I agree the EU should do the same but do some countries not do this already - I am thinking Germany and Siemens?
The US introduced the Foreign Corrupt Business Act in response to the Lockheed scandal in the 70s (hundreds of millions of dollars paid out in bribes to foreign governments including Italy to buy fighter planes.) Yes, some European countries have similar laws. I remember there was also a scandal in Sweden re bribes paid to India to buy Bofors guns. France and the UK are big players in arms dealing and I don't know if they have these laws but they should. The Japanese are still a big payers of slush money in Asia.
I once worked for an American owned company that uncovered bribes being paid from Hong Kong to a Chinese official in Inner Mongolia. The legal dept in Philadelphia sent a letter to the Chinese Embassy in Washington giving the details. After a sad letter from the official in Inner Mongolia proclaiming his innocence and asking for a retraction of the allegations, he was never heard of again. I took over from the guy in Hong Kong who had been fired and found a lot of interesting stuff in the files.
I do not think Britain and France have them and the arms industry deals probably have a lot to do with that!
Singapore is supposed to be tight on this stuff but I do know an arms salesman on my MBA and he talks about bribes to Thai Generals
I worked at Motorola for a while and it was said in a meeting they had lost a big contract due to not buying a car for someone. A girl who worked for me said why did they not just pay money to a local agent and he disributes the money just like when she worked for BP in Indonesia
That did not go down well at all!
Posted 2007-12-19 15:36:31
Sounds like this is turning into a good script. Just need to be fine tuned by the TV writers guild. TAT may fund it as they have some excess money at the moment? Just a thought 
Posted 2007-12-19 15:37:52
KireB, on 2007-12-19 05:40:44, said: Thailand maintains its international reputation!
Land of the oldest profession in the world,
Thank God!
Posted 2007-12-19 15:46:42
Thanks for the URl for the FBI affidavit Sriracha Jon. It seems that no one made much effort to cover their tracks. The Greens used US bank accounts of US companies to make the payments and Juthamas used her daughter's bank accounts overseas, making her a co-conspirator. Maybe Juthamas sent out a Nigerian email saying she was the governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand and had a budget of $10 million for a film festival to share with interested foreign criminals - no prior experience in the film industry needed! LOL. Stupid b*tch.
Posted 2007-12-19 15:50:40
sriracha john, on 2007-12-19 14:54:57, said: lomatopo, on 2007-12-19 14:32:25, said: This is a bit like the CTX scandal, where GE had to report it in the U.S. but not much came of it here in Thailand. Hundreds and hundreds of pages of documents came here to Thailand.
I was referring, albeit obliquely, to the fact that there was not any local prosecution AFAIK re: bribes with the CTX scanner deal, and also inferring that there would be no local prosecution for the film festival bribery scandal under discussion in this thread.
Perhaps you were interpreting my statement a bit too literally. 
Posted 2007-12-19 15:51:57
Its really not easy to get too worked up about this. Hardly the crime of the century, I hope they don't do too much time. They rot in jail, while Thaksin parties. There is no justice.
BTW: I enjoyed the film festivals. Hope to see them continue.
Edited by Jingthing, 2007-12-19 15:55:11.
Posted 2007-12-19 17:24:18
Ex-TAT governor will look into the film festival scandal
http://nationmultime...newsid=30059604
I guess she will be allowed to issue the final report too. Never mind that the FBI has a solid trail showing where and how the Greens transfered the "commissions". Banks in the UK are in deep as the recipient institutions though they would have had no cause to know what was going on. Never mind, TIT and any excuse she offers will be cheerfully accepted. Besides, the next government if a certain group gets to form it will likely pardon her too. The Greens on the otherhand can expect to do hard time with no chance of early release since it is the Federal system rather than a state or local system that is prosecuting the case.
Read the FBI affidvit and follow the money. In the affidavit the FBI agents even refers to a web page on the 2006 Bangkok Film Festival identifying the Thai official as the person who wrote the welcome and described herself as the President of the Bangkok International Film Festival and Governor of the TAT(see section B paragraph 14 of the FBI affidavit). You can't get much plainer than that without saying the name. The 2006 BKKIFF web page can still be found online. She can say what she wants but the bank records are real and verifiable.
http://www.usdoj.gov...n-affidavit.pdf
http://www.bangkokfi...al/welcome.aspx
Edited by ChiangMaiAmerican, 2007-12-19 17:28:34.
Posted 2007-12-19 17:39:58
Anyone have a guess as to who K.C. mentioned in the FBI affidavit as the governor's friend might be? The affidavit stated that K.C. was the recipient of some of the funds as proxy for the governor.
Posted 2007-12-19 17:46:21
[quote name='Jai Dee' date='2007-12-18 20:56:53' post='1714460']
US couple arrested in Bangkok Film Festival graft probe: justice
A group photo of 2005 Bangkok International Film Festival private dinner (L-R) Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Juthamas Siriwan, actor Michael Douglas, Patricia Green of Festival Management Inc., Gerald Green the President of Festival Management, Inc., and director Joel Schumacher in Bangkok, in January 2005. Gerald Green and his wife Patricia have been arrested for paying 1.7 million dollars in bribes to a Thailand government official for the right to manage the festival, according to the Justice Department
A Los Angeles-based businessman and his wife have been arrested for paying 1.7 million dollars in bribes to a Thailand government official for the right to manage the Bangkok International Film Festival, the Justice Department said Tuesday.
Gerald Green, 75, and his wife Patricia, 52, were arrested after a criminal complaint was filed in Los Angeles on December 7.
Twenty three years older than his wife!!!
Wonder what the attraction was for her - money perhaps???
Do you think she might have ever had any criticisms concerning older Farangs with younger Thai girlfriends??
Posted 2007-12-19 17:58:38
Anyone else notice the FBI had a tail on Green? Two agents were in the restuarant of the Oriental Hotel last July and personally observed a meeting between the governor and Green. Green was allegedly doctoring evidence after the FBI raided his businesses. Wonder if they got any photos and if they heard any of the conversation? Watch for more charges. If she was helping Green doctor the evidence she might actually get charged in the US for that one too not that she would ever be extradited. Stay tuned. The FBI is still tying up the ends on Greens obstruction of justice charges. It sounds like more to come.
Edited by ChiangMaiAmerican, 2007-12-19 18:03:16.
Posted 2007-12-19 18:17:55
FM to coordinate probing into film festival scandal
Foreign Ministry will coordinate with the investigation on the alleged bribe case which links arrested American couple with a former executive of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
http://nationmultime...es_30059564.php
Lets see what happens.
Posted 2007-12-19 18:58:29
Ex-TAT governor denies involvement in US' film fest scandal
Former tourism chief Jutamas Siriwan denied any involvement Wednesday in a major bribery scandal involving the Bangkok International Film Festival.
Jutamas, the former head of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) who is running for a Bangkok proportionate seat for the Puea Pandin party, said she would sue the US Justice Department if it linked her to the case.
She also denied a report that an amount of Bt330 million had been transferred to her family member.
Full story here: http://nationmultime...es_30059616.php
Posted 2007-12-19 18:59:27
Arrested for merely wanting to manage some film festival!
How more pathetic can this bunch of clowns in charge get?
It's not like they're organising multi-million drug smuggling operations is it?
It makes Thailand look like a....
Oh I forgot, it already is a 3rd world country 
Posted 2007-12-19 19:09:28
JimsKnight, on 2007-12-19 18:59:27, said: Arrested for merely wanting to manage some film festival!
How more pathetic can this bunch of clowns in charge get?
It's not like they're organising multi-million drug smuggling operations is it?
It makes Thailand look like a....
Oh I forgot, it already is a 3rd world country
third world and getting worse
Posted 2007-12-19 19:26:07
OK, so the 'Governor' let rigged, no-bid contracts go to the Greens and took a 17% kick-back. Would be interesting to see what other contracts she had oversight on? She must be so loaded.
Would be interesting to see who 'dimed' her and who CW1 and CW2 are? Am guessing she did not distribute the requisite "envelopes", and/or does not watch The Sopranos.
Is this story getting much local play? (doesn't seem to be) Any link to the upcoming election? (guessing no, hard to control release of DoJ docs.)
Also am amazed at how fathers and mothers blithely rope their children into these illegal activities here. Not too difficult to see why corruption remains endemic.
Thanks for the link to the affidavit, interesting to see the FBI still has a White Collar Crime division. I'm thinking the Green couple might have more skeletons?
Posted 2007-12-19 19:32:25
Doubtful this would have seen the light of day had the graft emanated from the UK, a country whose culture has a long tradition of accommodating corruption whenever it suited vested interests, excluding the taxpayer's of course. The BAE/ Saudi bribery scandal and the unwillingness of the government to prosecute is perhaps the best example and one that has provoked the USA to frustration and anger.
Whatever one says about the yanks, they have an instinct for lancing boils that elsewhere would be allowed to fester and should be commended accordingly.
Of course, in Thailand one should also appreciate that adverse public accountability is very bad form and the height of rudeness. The poor woman's embarrassment must be a terrible thing and quite unwarranted particularly since the acquisition of wealth by any Thai is simply the celebration of one's good karma.
Posted 2007-12-19 19:35:48
lomatopo, on 2007-12-19 19:26:07, said: Would be interesting to see who 'dimed' her and who CW1 and CW2 are? Am guessing she did not distribute the requisite "envelopes", and/or does not watch The Sopranos.
According to the FBI Affidavit CW-2 is an accountant who was employed with a firm acquired by the Greens when they were setting up the companies to contract for the BKKIFF. Like Al Capone, the Greens undoing will likely be the accountant. CW-2 is the Greens' Louis Shumway. CW-1 and CW-2 are both residents of the US and are likely US citizens though this cannot be determined from the affidavit. More interesting is who is the CI that started this rolling. There is no suggestion whether they are Thai or American.
Edited by ChiangMaiAmerican, 2007-12-19 19:51:58.
Posted 2007-12-19 20:21:25
NLA endorses UN corruption pact
Thailand's National Legislative Assembly (NLA) gave a green light to a Cabinet proposal to sign the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC).
Foreign Affairs Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram said the UNCAC - which has since been signed by over 100 countries - will help Thailand step up cooperation with the international community in fighting corruption.
The convention provides for international cooperation in the return of assets illicitly acquired by corrupt officials, including asset forfeiture in a foreign country.
http://bangkokpost.c...s.php?id=124554
Thats an interesting and positive development in light of recent news.
Edited by ChiangMaiAmerican, 2007-12-19 20:26:21.
Posted 2007-12-19 21:17:44
I suppose that I shouldn't have been too surprised about the TAT. In the early 90's I bought an expensive little item - it would have sat snugly in an earhole - which subsequently lost its glitter. I was so incredulous that it took me months of on and off double-checking to finally accept the fact that I'd been ripped off I kept thinking that I must be looking at it in an insufficiency light. Looks like 'policy was sub-standard' even then. My attitude to LOS changed, as I was a more trusting soul back then.
The Japanese provide gifts of appreciation to certain Pacific island nations, inter alia I guess, to win votes for their scientific studies of dead whales. I imagine Norway's vote assists in this regard, minus the gifting, as they eat 'em too.
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