The mayor of a town located in the Bang Phli district of the Samut Prakan province was detained on suspicion of soliciting and accepting a bribe in connection with an LCD screen project that cost 13 million Thai baht.
On Thursday, the mayor of the Muang Bang Kaew municipality, Nathapong Taengsuwan, was taken into custody after a sting operation that took place at his office on Bua Nakarin Road in the Bang Kaew district of the province.
Participating in the operation were members of the Anti-Corruption Division (ACD) of the Police Department as well as officials from the Office of the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC).
The chief of the Anti-Corruption Division (ACD), Pol Major General Jaroonkiat Pankaew, stated that his office had received a complaint from a limited partnership alleging that Mr. Nathapong had sought a bribe in exchange for the firm being contracted to carry out the 13-million-baht LCD screen project.
The bribe, which was equal to twenty-five percent of the total cost, was going to be paid in two installments: the first one was going to be on Thursday, and the second one was going to be upon the successful conclusion of the project.
On Thursday, an employee of the company brought Mr. Nathapong an envelope containing 1.56 million baht in cash and delivered it to him in his office. Mr. Nathapong accepted the package and the money.
As soon as Mr. Nathapong realized that something was going awry, he dashed from his office all the way down to the parking lot and discarded the mail there. At that point, the law enforcement officers arrived to conduct the arrest.
It has been alleged that Mr. Nathapong demanded and accepted a bribe in a dishonest manner. He was not guilty, as he claimed.
He was turned over to the ACD so that they may continue the legal processes against him.
PHOTO Anti-corruption police examine banknotes taken from an envelope that was earlier handed as a bribe to the mayor of Bang Kaew Municipality in Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan on Thursday. Bangkok post
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