Thailand considers death penalty for officials convicted of graft

Thai officials convicted in corruption cases involving more than 1 billion baht ($28 million) could face the death penalty under a proposal approved on Monday by the National Reform Steering Committee.

Of the 162 steering committee members present on Monday, 155 voted in favor of the measure. It also stipulates that officials who are found guilty of corruption worth less than 1 billion baht could face up to five years in prison.

"The meeting agrees with this measure," a member of the committee said. "We will take recommendations from legislators before forwarding them."

The measure must now be submitted to Cabinet, Parliament and then to Thailand's constitution committee for deliberation before it is adopted. Legislators said the process could take some time.

The government has sought to burnish its graft-busting reputation by cracking down on shady patronage networks.

The government has focused on silencing supporters of former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra and her brother, by imposing restrictions on public gatherings and by jailing several opposition members.

Yingluck was ousted in a 2006 coup. She is on trial on corruption charges stemming from a rice subsidy scheme that critics say incurred billions of dollars in losses.

She denies wrongdoing but faces up to a decade in jail if found guilty. The new measure would not be likely to affect her.

"There should be no impact on Yingluck. This is more a measure to pre-empt future graft and is intended as a warning shot more than anything," said Kan Yuenyong, from the Siam Intelligence Unit think tank.

(China Daily 01/10/2017 page11)