Major bribery ring in highways department uncovered

Thai police uncovered a major bribery ring involving senior officials from the Department of Highways, with evidence showing over 126 million baht in suspicious transactions. The funds were directly transferred to personal bank accounts and involved monthly payments as high as 100,000 baht.

Police raided the residence of 57 year old Noppadol, who serves as the senior mechanical engineer and head of the outbound Ubon Ratchathani Weigh Station. Alongside him, 59 year old Aneak, and 38 year old Thongchai, or Boy, were also detained. They are all implicated in a corruption and misconduct case under the jurisdiction of Thailand’s Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Region 3.

During the press briefing, held at 3.30pm yesterday, September 3, officials including Jaroonkiat Pankaew, Deputy Commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), Prasong Chelimpun, Commissioner of the Anti-Corruption Division (ACD), and representatives from the Ministry of Transport and the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) disclosed the details of the operation dubbed Spot Check Cleanup.

Noppadol and Aneak are facing charges of dereliction of duty and corruption, while Thongchai is charged with abetting the corrupt practices. Another individual, 39 year old Prathin, who held the bank account used for the transactions, has also been summoned to face charges, said a police spokesperson.

“The competition in the business sector has given rise to the ‘sticker bribe’ issue. If officials get involved, it will impact the public and cause significant damage to the nation. The suspects have handled around 200 million baht over four years. We will pursue every individual involved.”

Initial investigations revealed that the bribery scheme involved depositing money into Prathin’s account from around 200 trucking operators in the northeastern region. These funds were then converted to cash. About 50 victims have come forward, but many remain silent due to fear of legal repercussions.

Money laundering

Prasong explained that the 200 million baht circulating through the suspects’ accounts originated from the trucking operators.

“This money was funnelled through Prathin’s account before being withdrawn as cash. We need to investigate further to identify all recipients.”

More in-depth investigations showed that the account used by Prathin had been active from August 2022 to June 2023, accumulating over 6,265,631 baht. Additionally, Thongchai’s financial records indicated over 126,460,745 baht in total transactions since 2015, with 31 transfers totalling 3,161,100 baht directed to Noppadol’s account.

The money laundering methods mainly involved ATM withdrawals, which were then handed over at predetermined locations. Noppadol’s account received 13,237,672 baht from 2019 to the present, and transfers from Aneak’s account contributed 5,526,500 baht between 2020 and 2023.

Further scrutiny revealed that Aneak also received direct monthly payments from trucking operators, ranging from 5,000 to 100,000 baht. Between 2020 and 2023, his account saw deposits amounting to 11,465,976 baht. These findings were crucial in leading to the arrests, reported KhaoSod.

The investigation is ongoing, and police believe more suspects will emerge.

ORIGINAL STORY: Weigh station chief nabbed in bribery scandal

A senior mechanic and the chief of a truck weigh station in Ayutthaya’s Wang Noi district has been arrested in a shocking corruption bust.

Officers from the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission, alongside Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) officials, swooped in this morning, catching the suspect at his home near the station.

A stash of about 40,000 baht in cash was discovered in Noppadol’s possession, raising immediate suspicions. But the plot thickened when a search of his office revealed two handguns, a notebook, and a computer, all of which were swiftly seized by investigators.

Police Major General Charoonkiat Pankaew, CIB’s deputy commissioner, revealed that complaints had been pouring in from truck operators, accusing Noppadol of demanding bribes in exchange for allowing their vehicles to bypass the weigh station.

“Bribes were paid for the convenience of not having trucks weighed.”

These illicit payments could have reached a staggering 5 million baht each month.

Adding to the intrigue, the police discovered a barrier that had been strategically placed at the entrance of the weigh station, allegedly to prevent trucks from entering under the guise of repairs. However, after the barrier was removed, police randomly stopped several trucks for inspection.

To their surprise, all the trucks were found to comply with weight regulations, casting further doubt on the necessity of such repairs, reported Thai PBS World.