wmlro.com: film festival organisers convicted of breaching USA's Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
Gerald and Patricia Green won the contract to organise the Bangkok International Film Festival. A US Court has convicted them of getting the contract by bribing the then governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
Juthamas Siriwan is no longer in post at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) but she denies all involvement in the activities of the Greens, of West Hollywood, Calif., who were part of the organising team for the festival (known as BIFF) in 2003. Then they were awarded the contract to run it in 2004, 5 and 6.
The Greens made more than USD13 million from the festival and from promoting a "privilege card" for foreign tourists, both contracts being awarded during Siriwan's tenure, say US prosecutors. The court was told that some USD1.8 million in bribes were paid to a number of accounts in Singapore, Jersey and the UK.
Gerald Green is 77 years old. His wife Patricia is 52. They face possible jail sentences of five years on each of the eight the corruption charges when they are sentenced in December this year.
But they were both also convicted of seven counts of money laundering which carry heavier sentences - 20 years on each. One money laundering charge was withdrawn.
In addition, Patricia Green was convicted of income tax offences in the USA.
The couple intend to appeal. No charges have been brought against Siriwan.
US Attorney for Los Angeles Bruce Searby said in a statement "There is no more concrete type of harm to the Thai people than taking money out of their treasury and sending it on a round trip through LA back to a government official."
The court heard that the Greens used different business entities, some with dummy business addresses and telephone numbers, in their dealings with the TAT in order to hide the large amount of money the Greens were being paid under the contracts. Prosecutors said that that the Greens disguised the bribes as “sales commission” payments and made the payments for the benefit of the former governor through the foreign bank accounts of intermediaries, including bank accounts in the name of the former governor’s daughter and friend.
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