Published on May 23, 2005

Senate-panel chief slams US embassy press conference as ‘inappropriate’

The Senate committee on foreign affairs will urge the United States Embassy to disclose the identity of the official who called a press conference to clear bribery allegations against Thai officials involved in the explosives-detection machines scandal, the panel’s chairman said yesterday.

The powerful pressure group Campaign for Popular Democracy, meanwhile, planned to petition the Office of the Attorney General to begin an investigation into the scandal.

Senator Kraisak Chonhavan, who described the press conference as “inappropriate”, said his committee would make a written request to the embassy tomorrow. It would also ask for explanations about certain issues involving the matter.

Kraisak said he would also ask US Ambassador Ralph Boyce personally “to clear any doubts” about the matter when the envoy returns to Thailand next month.

“The press conference by the mysterious embassy official was very inappropriate. It would only lead to further confusion. I have known of no embassy that held such an event. The only aim could be to sell [their products] with no regard to righteousness,” said the senator.

The press conference in question was held at the US Embassy on Friday. The official who addressed the media asked that his identity not be revealed, nor did he allow his photograph to be taken. He affirmed that an investigation by US authorities found that no Thai officials had received kickbacks in the scandal.

The bribery allegations were made in a lawsuit filed by the US Securities and Exchange Commission against the US-based InVision Technologies, which was to supply CTX 9000 explosives-detection machines to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

The company, which was later bought by General Electric and is now known as GE InVision, admitted to “criminal liability associated with potential violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act” and was fined US$800,000 (about Bt32 million).

Senator Pratin Santiprabhob, who chairs the Upper House’s anti-corruption committee, yesterday said his panel would continue with its ongoing investigation into the scandal despite the denial by the mysterious embassy official.

“Attempts to reject the bribery allegations would only further arouse suspicion. We wonder if the embassy official called the press conference personally or on the embassy’s behalf, or if he wanted to defend someone in particular,” said the senator.

Suriyasai Katasila, secretary-general of the Campaign for Popular Democracy, said yesterday that his group would petition Attorney General Kampi Kaewcharoen later this week to investigate the matter.

He said experts on international law had agreed that as the alleged bribe taking was a “crime against the state”, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) could start its investigation without any formal complaint.

The activist said he noticed that the government and relevant state agencies had been “unusually slow” in dealing with the scandal. He alleged that there were efforts to abuse diplomatic ties in order to whitewash certain politicians and businesses involved in the scandal.

Suriyasai also called Friday’s press conference a “severe breach of diplomatic etiquette”.

A source from the OAG said yesterday that the agency is empowered to seek evidence from relevant US agencies, under a bilateral agreement on criminal-investigation cooperation, but that the duty of investigating falls with the police. The source insisted that police would be able to begin an investigation only after the aggrieved party filed a complaint.

Bancha Khaengkhan,

Kesinee Taengkhieo

The Nation

Post your comment to this story here