The Sathian case; or: Boontje gets his wages
Suppose you are the highest boss of the Ministry of Defense after the minister. Every now and then the ministry gives nice assignments. A small hint and you have collected a nice amount of bribes from a manufacturer. Oh well, sometimes something gets stuck on the bow. Small trick.
But be careful, it shouldn't stand out too much, so other times the amount will be deposited into the bank account of your wife and daughter. Don't worry, everyone with a bit of top position does the same.
So far so good. The only bad thing is that you don't like your new minister very much. He is a member of a party that you should have nothing to do with. You may even have had run-ins with him. When the minister ignores your advice for your succession (he wants a boyfriend of his own in that post), you not only leak the message to the press, but you also criticize your boss in public. The minister is 'not amused' and transfers you to an inactive post. Well, what do you care, you're about to retire anyway.
You seem to care because a little later you will appeal against your transfer to the administrative court. After all: twiddling your thumbs is not your thing, and what does that minister imagine to transfer you after so many loyal years of service? Unfortunately, the judge rejects your petition and then you just give up and think: I'm going to enjoy my pension. Money enough.
So far so good. But then something unexpected happens. The National Anti-Corruption Commission is going to dig into your financial past. You can guess who tipped off the NACC. Isn't the expression: Boontje comes for his wages? And that, dear readers, seems to have happened to Sathian Permthong-in, former permanent secretary of the Ministry of Defense. I'll list the facts, based on two posts Bangkok Post.
Seizure of all bank balances, lots and two cars
- 10 million baht has been deposited into the bank account of Sathian Permthong-in (last year his surname was spelled Phoemthongin).
- 100 million baht has been deposited in the bank accounts of his wife and adopted daughter.
- The wife owns four plots in Ubon Ratchatani; the daughter five plots in Ubon Ratchatani and Bangkok.
- The NACC seized all assets, the plots and two cars, in anticipation of the legal proceedings that will follow at the Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions, a department of the Supreme Court. Who decides whether the assets are confiscated.
Spicy chapter with a lecturer in the leading role
But the story has another spicy chapter. That is why a lecturer from Thammasat University comes into the picture, who supervised her daughter during her graduation. Mother and daughter asked him to look after 18 million baht because there were some 'problems'. A few days later they came back, asked for the money because they wanted to buy land, and asked permission to use his name as a business partner, which is a civilized word for cat catcher.
Later, the mother's helpful lecturer received a check for 27 million baht, again asking him to keep the money. The check was made out to his name by a company and would be the profit from the sale of land to this company. The lecturer parked the money in four bank accounts of the university's savings cooperative and transferred small installments to the mother about 15 times.
According to the first newspaper report, those accounts are almost empty, but according to the second report, the NACC has found and seized 11,9 million baht.
And now this learned gentleman says he didn't know at the time whether the money was legal or illegal. If he had known it would get him in trouble, he would have refused to keep the money. Now retired, he has announced that he will step down from all his academic positions in order to demonstrate his moral responsibility.
The NACC says it does not consider him a suspect, but a witness, which raises the question in my mind: who protects this man, because someone with a primary education can smell that something is rotten in the state of Denmark. But yes, as the expression goes: This is Thailand.
For this article I have drawn from the Bangkok Post of February 27 and 28, 2013.