A top official at the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) is facing up to ten years in prison for allegedly soliciting bribes from foriegn airlines in exchange for issuing flight permits quickly.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a case on Monday against Soe Paing in which it alleged he pocketed $72,066 by charging 12 foreign airlines up to $100 every time he issued a flight permit. The commission did not name the 12 airlines.
Soe Paing solicited the bribes while working as director of Air Traffic Control Inspection and general manager of the Air Navigation Control Division, the commission said.
He acted during his tenure as if he was running his own business, the commission said in its filing, and had the money sent to a private bank account in his name.
The commission said it received a complaint about Soe Paing last year but faced delays while investigating the case because of Covid-19-related restrictions..
“Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, actions around this have been relatively limited… it took some time to investigate,” Kyaw Soe, an ACC spokesperson, told Myanmar Now.
“We have to carefully look for evidence when we make a case. Witnesses are questioned, we question the complainant as well as the defendant,” he added. “Only when we have done this and the complaint is well-founded do we file such a lawsuit.”
Soe Paing has not yet commented on the allegations against him.
Under Section 56 of the Anti-Corruption Law, anyone who has authority or anyone who had had authority while serving is found guilty of corruption, the exception of a current political position, can be sentenced up to 10 years in prison and a fine.
