NACC to seize assets of TAT ex-governor Juthamas

NACC to seize assets of TAT ex-governor Juthamas

Then Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Juthamas Siriwan (third from left) joins local celebrities and entertainment industry executives at a gala opening for the 2006 Bangkok International Film Festival on Feb 20, 2006. (Photo by Apichit Jinakul)
Then Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Juthamas Siriwan (third from left) joins local celebrities and entertainment industry executives at a gala opening for the 2006 Bangkok International Film Festival on Feb 20, 2006. (Photo by Apichit Jinakul)

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has decided to seize the assets of Juthamas Siriwan, a former Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), for being unusually rich.

The seizure came long after a film festival bribery case in the US in which she was accused of taking bribes from a Los Angeles film-making couple who were awarded a 60-million-baht contract to host the annual Bangkok International Film Festival between 2003 and 2006.

Hollywood producers Gerald and Patricia Green allegedly paid her about US$1.8 million (63.3 million baht) to help secure the film festival. The Greens were convicted in 2009 and sentenced to six months in jail.

Mrs Juthamas was indicted by the Office of the Attorney-General in August 2015, and the Criminal Court will rule on the case next Wednesday.

Nitiphan Prachuabmoh, the NACC official in charge of foreign affairs, said on Friday a panel had found her unusually rich by using her position to gain wealth.

Her assets will be confiscated including those she had allegedly transferred to her daughter Jittisopha, the official said.

The NACC has contacted US authorities to freeze the assets and will ask the US to transfer them to Thai state coffers under the United Nations Convention against Corruption in 2004 and other agreements, according to Mr Nittiphan.


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