[Ip-health] IHT: Thailand's health minister resigns over corruption scandal

[Judit Rius Sanjuan]

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/04/09/asia/AS-GEN-Thailand-Health-Minis=
ter.php

Thailand's health minister resigns over corruption scandal
The Associated Press
Wednesday, April 9, 2008

BANGKOK, Thailand: Thailand's health minister resigned Wednesday amid
a growing corruption scandal over his alleged failure to disclose his
wife's shareholdings.

Thailand's National Counter Corruption Commission said Tuesday that
Chaiya Sasomsup had violated asset disclosure rules and called for him
to step down. Chaiya denied wrongdoing and told reporters Tuesday he
had no plan to resign.

On Wednesday, however, the health minister tendered his resignation,
Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said.

Thai laws require Cabinet ministers to report their personal assets
and those of their spouses and children within 30 days of taking
office. Government officials and their immediate family are also
barred from holding more than 5 percent of a company's equity.

Chaiya, who took office Feb. 6, said he was not aware the 5 percent
rule applied to his wife and filed the information late.

His wife, Churai, was found to hold 25,000 shares in a company worth
2.5 million baht (US$80,000, =8050,000) which amounted to half the
firm's registered stock, The Bangkok Post reported.

The corruption commission is forwarding its ruling to the Supreme
Court. If the Supreme Court finds him guilty, Chaiya could face a ban
from public office for five years.

Chaiya was already the target of a petition campaign seeking his
dismissal for allegedly favoring the interests of multinational
pharmaceutical companies over the health of Thai citizens.

The campaign was launched by consumer and patients' rights groups
after Chaiya said he would consider reversing a government decision to
lift patents on four cancer-fighting drugs, a move that allows cheaper
generic versions to be imported and manufactured in Thailand.

Chaiya later said he would not change the government's position, but
the campaign against him went ahead anyway.


Judit Rius Sanjuan
Attorney at Knowledge Ecology International
www.keionline.org / www.cptech.org
Phone: +1.202.332.2670, x18
Email: judit.rius@keionline.org