Ex-TAT governor denies involvement in US' film fest scandal

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.

Gerald Green and his wife, Patricia, both of Los Angeles, were arrested on Tuesday over an allegation that they conspired to make pay bribes of more than US$1.7 million (Bt52 million) to a TAT official in order to obtain the film festival contract and other deals with the Authority worth more than $10 million.

The couple formed a company to bid for the management contract for the annual Bangkok International Film Festival (BKKIFF).

The firm allegedly conspired with others to bribe a senior Thai official, who was allegedly the president of the festival and governor of the TAT.

Jutamas said the case would not have impact on her and her party's election campaign.

Jutamas said the procedures to employ the company in question, to organise the Bangkok Film Festival in 2003, had been implemented according to the rules and laws.

"All the procedures involving the case had been done according to the regulations and with fairness and transparence to all agencies concerned. TAT had set up a panel to handle the process," she said in a press conference.

"I already contacted that company in Los Angeles and found that some employees were fired for unknown reasons. I believe that case is caused by internal conflicts inside the company," she said.

She insisted that the case is a matter of the US and had no direct link to Thailand. "The US authorities will investigate into the case, which is in the process of investigation," she said.

However she vowed to sue the US authority if it concluded that she involved in the alleged bribery.

She also denied a report that an amount of Bt330 million had been transferred to her family member.