One Sentenced, One at Large in Mandalay Corruption Case

By De Hlaing Winn 17 May 2019

MANDALAY—The Mandalay Region High Court sentenced a clerk of the regional Department of Rural Road Development to four years in prison with labor on Thursday for corruption, while another suspect is still at large.

“The companies that paid money to them filed a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). There were two suspects and one of them is still on the loose,” a Mandalay Region High Court law officer told The Irrawaddy.

Myanmar’s ACC filed a complaint on October 31 last year against Department of Rural Road Development Deputy Director U Aung Kyaw Myint and Daw Thuzar, a clerk, who were responsible for the accounts in question.

According to the ACC’s statement, the department invited tender for the construction of inter-village roads in rural areas of Mandalay Region in the 2017-18 fiscal year, and after six tender winners partially completed their projects the department paid out 25 percent of costs.

As the department distributed the money, the two individuals charged abused their power by diverting a total of three percent of the costs—or 10.278 million kyats (US$6,660)—to their own pockets, according to the statement.

“The punishment is light for [Daw Thuzar] as she is just a clerk. She may appeal if she feels the punishment is not fair. I still don’t know what she thinks,” defense lawyer U Kyaw Myaing told The Irrawaddy.

The Mandalay Region High Court has issued an arrest warrant for the deputy director.

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