Washington - A Los Angeles film executive and his wife were
arrested on charges of paying 1.7 million dollars in bribes to a Thai
tourism official for the rights to run a film festival, the US
Justice Department announced Wednesday.
But in Bangkok, the accused official denied the charge.
Gerald Green, 75, and Patricia Green, 52, were arrested Tuesday on
federal charges of conspiracy to bribe to an official of the Tourism
Authority of Thailand (TAT) to obtain a contract to run the Bangkok
International Film Festival worth more than 10 million dollars, a US
Justice Department statement said.
The complaint alleges that, from 2003 and continuing into 2007,
the Greens conspired with others to bribe the former governor of the
tourism authority and president of the film festival.
'As a result of her position at the TAT, the governor was able to
influence the awarding of the Bangkok International Film Festival
contracts as well as other TAT contracts. More than 1.7 million
dollars in payments were allegedly made for the benefit of the
governor,' the US Justice Department said.
In Bangkok, former TAT governor Juthamas Siriwan denied any
involvement in the scandal and vowed to sue the US Justice Department
if it attempted to tie her to the case.
Jutamas said the bid to organize the Bangkok International Film
Festival in 2003 had been implemented according to rules and
regulations.
'All the procedures involving the case had been done according to
the regulations and with fairness and transparence to all agencies
concerned,' she told a press conference Wednesday.
Jutamas is currently contesting the December 23 parliamentary
election with the Puea Pendin Party.
The case is being investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
USA
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