KHON KAEN: The mayor of a municipality in Chonnabot district of this northeastern province has been arrested for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe amounting to 30% in two closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera installation projects worth almost 1 million baht.
Police from the Anti-Corruption Division (ACD), together with officials from the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC), arrested Khunanon Hinthao, the mayor of Chonnabot tambon municipality, at his house, which also functioned as a coffee shop, in this district on Friday.
The arrest followed the mayor's solicitation and receipt of a bribe totalling 300,000 baht, equivalent to 30% of the value of two CCTV installation projects, from a contractor.
Pol Col Thanatchon Kengsakikit, chief of the ACD’s sub-division 3, said the arresting team waited outside the house until the contractor entered the premises and handed over cash to the mayor. Following the mayor's acceptance of the bribe, the team intervened to arrest him. He was charged with violating Sections 149 and 157 of the Criminal Code.
Mr Khunanon has denied the charges and said he would provide his written statements later. He was handed over to the ACD for further legal proceedings.
According to police, the accused mayor had demanded a 30% bribe, or 300,000 baht, for two wireless CCTV projects, each valued at 485,000 baht, totalling 970,000 baht, from the contractor. After the completion of the projects, the mayor requested the payment on Friday, said Pol Col Thanatchon.
Mayor Khunanon Hinthao, right, looks on as police count money that he allegedly received from a contractor as a bribe for two CCTV projects in Khon Kaen province on Friday. (Photo: Chakrapan Natanri)