Former tourism chief jailed for 50 years for corruption
Former Thailand tourism chief Juthamas Siriwan has been sentenced to 50 years for accepting $1.8 million in kickbacks.
As governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Juthamas took bribes from two Hollywood producers in exchange for letting them organise the Bangkok International Film Festival.
The Central Court for Corruption and Misconduct found her guilty of 11 counts of corruption from 2002 to 2007 and she was also ordered to pay restitution for the bribes.
Juthamas’ daughter was also jailed for 44 years for accepting corrupt payments into her bank account to avoid detection.
Film producers Gerald and Patricia Green were sentenced to six months in prison in 2010 after being found guilty in the US of conspiracy under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
A FBI investigation discovered the Los Angeles-based couple generated more than $13.5 million in revenue as organisers of the film festival.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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