Thailand’s anti-corruption commission to probe Rolls Royce bribes

Illustrative image (Source: freemalaysiatoday.com)

 

Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand’s National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) on March 9 said it will investigate senior officials and employees of the national-flag carrier Thai Airways over bribes paid more than a decade ago by Rolls-Royce.

There are enough facts and witnesses to investigate the allegations, announced the NACC.

The commission added that the probe will centre on the transport minister and deputy minister, the Thai Airways’s board and its long-term investment sub-committee between 2004 and 2005 over a deal to buy six passenger jets with Rolls-Royce engines.

In January 2016, Britain’s Serious Fraud Office announced Rolls Royce paid huge sums over three decades to win contracts in Indonesia, Thailand, India, Nigeria, China and Malaysia.

The British jet engine producer admitted to wrongdoing and agreed to pay an 808 million USD fine. However, the UK probe has sparked follow up investigations in some of the countries where the bribes were received.

The UK fraud probe, its largest case so far, found some 36 million USD of bribes and incentives were spent during 1991 and 2005 for intermediaries, including Thai government officials and Thai Airways employees, to help the company win jet engine deals.

Thai Airways announced its own investigation into the case on January 19.

The bribery allegedly occurred during a period of rapid growth in Thailand. -VNA

VNA