Myanmar Junta Issues Another Corruption Charge Against Suu Kyi
By Agga Aung 3 May 2022
Myanmar’s military regime on Monday filed two more charges of corruption against detained State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi after handing her a five-year prison sentence for corruption last week.
An officer from the Anti-Corruption Commission filed a complaint against Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at the court hearing on Monday in Naypyitaw, alleging that property developer Maung Weik had given her about U$550,000 in illegal payments between 2018 and 2020 to protect his businesses.
The charge is based on Maung Weik’s comments, made during a regime press conference in March last year.
The owner of Sae Paing Construction Co, Maung Weik, said he had given Daw Aung San Suu Kyi four payments, US$100,000 in 2018 to her Daw Khin Kyi Foundation, US$150,000 in 2019, US$50,000 in February 2020 and US$250,000 in April 2020.
Junta-controlled broadcasters reported Maung Weik as saying he made the first payment in front of witnesses but the three other payments in private.
Observers said Maung Weik made the three other payments up while under junta detention.
The Evidence Act forbids using statements given while in detention, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s lawyers argued in a previous corruption case.
Last week, she was given five years in prison for accepting bribes from her Yangon Region chief minister U Phyo Min Thein, who testified in October last year that he gave her seven viss (around 11.4kg) of gold and US$600,000 in 2017 and 2018.
The verdict was based only on the testimony of U Phyo Min Thein and there is no evidence of the gold or dollars.
The latest corruption charge is also based on one man’s allegations.
It is the 13th corruption charge against the 76-year-old. They each carry up to 15 years in prison.
The regime has filed 20 charges against her and handed down 11 years in jail for six charges.
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