Sunday, March 10, 2019

The Irrawaddy Magazine

The Irrawaddy Magazine

Tanintharyi Chief Minister Arrested on Bribery, Corruption Charges

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 05:19 PM PDT

YANGON—Tanintharyi Region Chief Minister Daw Lei Lei Maw was arrested on bribery and corruption charges in Dawei on Sunday, according to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

ACC spokesperson U Kyaw Soe confirmed to The Irrawaddy that the chief minister has been detained at Dawei Myoma Police Station, together with Global Grand Services (GSS) Managing Director U Thein Htwe, Director U Aung Myat and General Manager U Thaya Ohn, right after the commission opened cases against the four under the anti-corruption law.

The arrests come after a month-long investigation in Naypyitaw, Yangon and Dawei carried out between Feb. 4 and March 6.

The commission said it has found that Chief Minister Daw Lei Lei Maw misused her position and committed corruption on a number of occasions since April 2016, just weeks after she was appointed as head of the region, in an announcement released late on Sunday evening together with its findings.

The findings include details of the chief minister's corrupt activities in awarding contracts for the construction of a pavilion for a Myanmar New Year event in 2016 and for the removal of unwanted bushes from Dawei University and outside Dawei Airport in November 2016. It stated that the chief minister allowed a budget of 400 million kyats ($263,000) for the removal of unwanted bushes outside the airport.

She also asked a director from the regional road management department in October 2018 to build a wall around two plots of land in Dawei owned by her husband but didn't pay the cost until the commission started the investigation against her, the commission said.

The commission reported that she sold her house which was valued at 32 million kyats ($21,000) for 200 million kyats ($131,000) to the GGS company. In return, the company was awarded a number of contracts including for the electricity distribution project in Dawei, the construction of a fish market, a city hall and low-cost housing.

The ACC added that it also found that GGS broke a contract made with the regional government and owes 8 billion kyats ($5.2 million) to the Ministry of Electricity and Energy for natural gas which has led to a loss of public funds.

The case against Daw Lei Lei Maw has been filed under the Anti-Corruption Law's Article 55 which carries a maximum penalty of 15 year's imprisonment and a fine if found guilty. U Thein Htwe, U Aung Myat and U Thura Ohn of GGS have been charged under the Anti-Corruption Law's Article 63.

Article 63 states that any person who instigates, attempts, conspires, manages or abets to commit any offence contained in the Anti-Corruption Law, shall be punished with the prescribed penalty for such offense.

During State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's visit to the region last month, local residents demanded the chief minister be replaced, as well as the region's planning and finance minister, U Phyo Win Tun, and U Aung Soe, who chairs the Tanintharyi regional committee for the National League for Democracy.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said she would take decisive action against officials who harm public interest.

In January this year, more than 100 local residents of Myeik and Dawei sent a complaint letter about Daw Lei Lei Maw calling for an investigation. In the following days, the regional parliament also sent a report on public complaints to President U Win Myint and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

The post Tanintharyi Chief Minister Arrested on Bribery, Corruption Charges appeared first on The Irrawaddy.

Fresh Arakan Army Attack Kills Nine Police in Rakhine

Posted: 09 Mar 2019 08:44 PM PST

YANGON—Lt-Col Kyi Lin, head of Rakhine State Police Force confirmed that nine policemen were killed by gunshot in an Arakan Army (AA) raid on a police station in northern Rakhine State’s Ponnagyun at midnight on Saturday.

He declined to give more details, saying he was busy with the case at 8:20 a.m. The AA acknowledged that its troops attacked Yoe Ta Yoke Police Station but spokesperson U Khine Thu Kha declined further requests for comment.

One Yoe Ta Yoke villager who requested anonymity also said that he witnessed nine dead bodies lying on the ground covered with tarpaulin. This morning, dozens of villagers arrived at the crime scene a five-minute walk from the village center. He said that one of the nine police officers was from his village.

He said the head of Yoe Ta Yoke Police Station, Saw Thein Tun, and a police constable were present at the station and that there were no signs of military presence in the area as of 9 a.m. Sunday morning. He said that the villagers heard the gunshots at about 11:30 p.m. which ceased at around 12:00 a.m.

According to him, two police officers managed to escape the AA attacks by pretending to be dead bodies alongside other corpses. Ponnagyun Township Police Maj. Nyein Chan declined to comment when contacted by phone on Sunday morning.

The Irrawaddy has seen an initial police report which says that about 100 AA rebels ordered the station to surrender and as the police refused to do so, fighting instantly broke out. The AA rebels seized all firearms and ammunition from the station.

Battle updates released by the AA show armed clashes between the AA and military troops in northern Rakhine State and Chin State’s upper Paletwa region have intensified since early March.

The AA announced that they have fought with southern Rakhine State’s Gwa Township-based Light Infantry No. 563—troops under supervision of Light Infantry Division No.5—in Paletwa Township's northern village of Pyan So and seized one dead military troop's body as well as confiscating 16 backhoe excavators, one Toyota car, a dump truck, 60 mm and 80 mm mortar shells on Saturday.

During the recent fighting, the military fired hellfire missiles at AA rebels using two helicopters. In the same remote Paletwa area, the AA also clashed with Light Infantry No.542 of Kyaukphyu on Friday and claimed to have killed at least three government troops. The AA seized one MA-1 assault rifle from Infantry N0.542 and a captain's notebook.

The AA update said they are "hunting the troops who managed to escape from the battle."

The AA previously announced that they killed at least a dozen soldiers, including one captain in fighting in upper Paletwa on Thursday. The Irrawaddy attempted to contact the spokesperson for the Office of the Commander-in-Chief for comment multiple times on Sunday morning but calls went unanswered.

Saturday night's police station attack is the second of its kind after the AA's coordinated attacks on four border outposts in Buthidaung Township, which killed 13 security personnel on Myanmar Independence Day on January 4.

The post Fresh Arakan Army Attack Kills Nine Police in Rakhine appeared first on The Irrawaddy.
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