There have been press reports and rumors for some time now that the reason why the investigations into alleged massive corruption in the contract for the CTX bomb scanners at the new airport have been so protracted, is that there were too many influential Thai people involved in the alleged corruption whose names were surfacing in the investigation.
There were all sorts of claims of foot dragging by critics of the junta and its investigators, including the charge that they were trying to keep secret the names of influential Thais who were identified by name in a report and investigation conducted into the CTX contracts by American officials.
Those rumors are bound to increase, now that this article has just appeared in a bulletin from the Bangkok Post, suggesting that the hot potato is getting hotter:
"The Assets Scrutiny Committee insisted on having the Foreign Ministry translate documents concerning the CTX luggage scanner case. Ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra faces corruption charges in the procurement of 26 CTX bomb scanners used at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
ASC chairman Nam Yimyaem said the document is confidential so the ASC cannot hire anyone to translate it. The Foreign Ministry denied it would help with the translation work. The ASC will meet with Foreign Ministry on Thursday afternoon to discuss the matter."
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=121564
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A real hot potato: CTX Airport scanners
Started by Hedda, Sep 12 2007 05:25 PM
5 replies to this topic
#2
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Posted 12 September 2007 - 06:14 PM
QUOTE
ASC chairman Nam Yimyaem said the document is confidential so the ASC cannot hire anyone to translate it.
I think the correct English translation of what he said in Thai is that the document is so hot they cannot afford to let anyone see it, in any language.
Hehehe.....
#3
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Posted 13 September 2007 - 11:12 AM
According to what I have read, the CTX contracts were in English, with the machinery originating in the USA. It's incredible to bellieve that the ASC can't understand them, now that they have been supposedly investigating this matter for the last 12 months, and suddenly no one can read English ????
#4
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Posted 13 September 2007 - 09:01 PM
QUOTE(Sexpat @ Sep 13 2007, 04:12 AM) 
According to what I have read, the CTX contracts were in English, with the machinery originating in the USA. It's incredible to bellieve that the ASC can't understand them, now that they have been supposedly investigating this matter for the last 12 months, and suddenly no one can read English ????
If that's true, maybe they can't understand contractual English and/or need them translating into Thai for legal purposes ??
But if the former is the case it begs the question why the hell did Thaksin and his mob sign the contracts in the first place (unless of course the manufacturers and their intermediaries were the ones offering the greatest rate of inducements)?
"Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence...Speak your truth quietly and clearly..."
"Desiderata" (1927), Max Ehrmann (1872-1945).
"Desiderata" (1927), Max Ehrmann (1872-1945).
#5
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Posted 14 September 2007 - 11:03 AM
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...why the hell did Thaksin and his mob sign the contracts in the first place
I understand it's become quite common for contracts with lots of technical and scientific jargon to be stated in English, simply because Thai vocabulary and grammar are not up to the task, notwithstanding nationalistic sentiments. The real question is why it's taken these Thai ASC investigators almost a year of digging into this airport scandal, just to announce now, with the junta preparing to give up power in 4 months, that they have a problem with English translations.
Moreover, it's not the contracts that are being kept secret due to the alleged lack of a good translation here. It's the report of the US investigators into alleged kickbacks, and the people named as a result, something which is presumably in a form that requires no great technical command of English.
The reality of the political situation now is that all sorts of people, including many politicians and bureaucrats who were in government during the Thaksin period, are looking forward to the possibility that all of these investigations will be unceremoniously dumped or quietly buried when the new government takes office in 120 days. It's happened so many times before, when coups were employed to overthrow allegedly corrupt governments, but no one ever went to jail for anything.
If that's the case that history teaches, then there must be enormous pressure within the "old boys network" to delay exposing the kind of dirty laundry that might never see the light of day after the elections. No one wants to be caught out on that limb.
#6
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Posted 14 September 2007 - 06:16 PM
"Documents provided by the US Department of State clearly show who was involved in corruption in the procurement of CTX bomb scanners for Suvarnabhumi Airport, an Assets Examination Committee (AEC) member said yesterday.
Amnuay Thantara, who heads the AEC panel probe into the CTX scandal, said he found the documents translated so far to be very useful because they gave the complete picture of those who were behind the scenes and those who fronted the deal.
"The US documents show from the first step right up to before the CTX contract was signed,'' he said."
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/09/14...cs_30048939.php
Amnuay Thantara, who heads the AEC panel probe into the CTX scandal, said he found the documents translated so far to be very useful because they gave the complete picture of those who were behind the scenes and those who fronted the deal.
"The US documents show from the first step right up to before the CTX contract was signed,'' he said."
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/09/14...cs_30048939.php
