Asia-Pacific News
Couple arrested for paying bribes to Thai tourism official (Roundup)
By DPA
Dec 19, 2007, 11:55 GMT

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.