September 15, 2009
LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Two Los Angeles movie executives have been found guilty of paying 1.8 million dollars in bribes to win the right to manage the Bangkok International Film Festival, justice officials said Monday.
Gerald Green, 77, and Patricia Green 52, were convicted by a federal jury late Friday on charges of conspiracy, violating anti-corruption laws and money-laundering, a statement from the Justice Department said.
The couple were accused of paying bribes to a former governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) in exchange for receiving contracts to manage and operate the annual film festival in the Thai capital.
According to an indictment, the Greens paid 1.8 million dollars in bribes to the former tourism chief via bank accounts in Singapore, Jersey and Britain set up in the names of the former governor's daughter and a friend.
Prosecutors said the Greens had received more than 13.5 million dollars in revenue from the contracts. Patricia Green was also found guilty of submitting false tax returns.
The couple will be sentenced on December 17 and could face jail terms of more than 20 years, according to sentencing guidelines.
