Tanintharyi Region Chief Minister Dr Lai Lai Maw, Global Grand Services (GGS) Company Managing Director Thein Htwe, Director Aung Myat and Thura Ohn have had a case registered against them under the anti-corruption law.
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) issued a press statement dated March 10 which says an inquiry team found (a) the region government assigned works to F-22 Sunny Construction Ltd. for clearing bushes in Dawei University campus in November 2016 and clearing bushes outside Dawei airport and the region government gave job contracts to the company directly for clearing bushes and shrubs inside Dawei airport on December 15, 2016 without inviting tender and approving and confirming this contract in cabinet.
(b) Moreover, Chief Minister Dr Lai Lai Maw gave her sanction to the Roads and Bridges Department for withdrawing about 1.9 billion kyats in a lump sum by violating financial regulations and union government’s directives. And then in about October 2018 she ordered the director of Roads and Bridges Department to build boundary walls at the plot number 1068 and 1070, situated at the corner of Dawei hospital road and Gaw Thazin road, bought by her husband Tun Min. She gave back this money only when the inquiry team conducted an investigation.
Paragraph (c) of the press statement also says Tanintharyi Region government chief minister Dr. Lai Lai Maw sold her house and premises situated at No. 6, Myeik-Dawei highway, Myoma Ward, Thayetchaung Township at the price of 200 million kyats though the actual market price of this house was just over 32 million kyats, to GGS Company Ltd. and then she gave contracts for building Thayetchaung fish auction market, Dawei district electricity distribution works, building Dawei cane ball sports stadium, building Palaw town hall, building low cost four apartment buildings with six flats in each floor, building Tanintharyi Region guest house and staff quarters in Nyapyitaw, to this company as privileges. Thura Ohn who bought her house is the business partner of GGC Co. Ltd. and also the GM of this company.
Paragraph (d) says agreement for electricity generation and distribution in Dawei district, Tanintharyi region was signed on December 6, 2016, by the secretary of regional government as contractee and Thein Htwe as a contractor on behalf of GGS Co. Ltd. But the company failed to supervise the implementation of the job assigned to them under this contract in accordance with the terms and conditions mentioned in the agreement, which amounted to violating regulations and procedures of the department. GGS Co. failed to pay over 8 billion kyats for natural gas used in this work for the period from July 1, 2017, to the date the inquiry commenced. This gas payment had to be paid by the government ministry of electricity and energy so that financial losses were incurred by the state.
