Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has been sentenced to three years in prison for two counts of corruption charges under the Anti-Corruption Law for receiving 550,000 US dollars in bribes from U Maung Weik, owner of Sae Paing Company, according to a source related to the case.
The court convicted her with 2 three-year sentences to be served concurrently for the two corruption charges.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi appeared in the special court in the compound of the Nay Pyi Taw Prison today (October 12). During the hearing, the sentence was passed for Case No.3/2022 and Case No.4/2022 in which she was charged with corruption.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi pleaded not guilty saying that the cases were only related to Daw Khin Kyi Foundation and she didn’t receive anything.
The MWD TV released a video file of Maung Weik at 8 pm on March 17, 2021. He said he made donations to the government to facilitate his business after the establishment of Sae Paing Company in 2014. In 2017, he became with Daw Khin Khin Oo working at Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s house. In May 2018, with her help, Maung Weik visited Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at her home and donated US$ 100,000 to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for Daw Khin Kyi’s Foundation fund at her home in a black paper gift bag in front of U Kyauk San and U Hla Myo.
In 2019, he personally gave US$ 150,000 placed in a black paper gift bag to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at her home. In February 2020, another US$ 50,000 was donated to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at her home. In April again, he personally donated US$ 250,000 to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at her home. At that time, no one was around, said Maung Weik.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has so far been sentenced to 26 years in prison for her court-settled cases, and she is now a separate cell of the Nay Pyi Taw Prison.
A lawyer close to the court said in the corruption charge against former Mandalay Region Chief Minister Dr Zaw Myint Maung, U Maung Weik testified in court that he visited his home three times to donate money for his medical expenses but did not have a chance to meet personally.
Maung Weik accused Dr Zaw Myint Maung, who is suffering from cancer, of accepting medical costs when he was hospitalized in Thailand. But during the February 18 court hearing, Maung Weik said he paid the money as donations.
Some local media also reported that the National League for Democracy’s Health Network paid for the medical expenses of Dr Zaw Myint Maung and the air tickets for his accompanying eldest son.
On July 6 last year, the Ministry of Information reported that the former chief minister accepted a bribe of US$100,000 in three batches from a businessman engaging in some projects in Mandalay Region when he was receiving medical treatment in Thailand in 2019.
Maung Weik was sentenced to 15 years in jail in 2008 for drug abuse and trafficking, and but released in 2014. After his release, he continued implementing projects under the Thein Sein government and the NLD government.
He was allowed to implement the new Amarapura city project on 2,000 acres of land with a starting capital of Ks500 billion.
At that time, Dr Zaw Myint Maung said his government permitted him to implement the project in line with the procedures and the agreement singed under the previous government. Maung Weik was appointed as chairman of Mandalay Business Capital City Development.
In June 2016, the government announced that the 10-year Amarapura city project in seven phases would cover an economic zone, port, hotel zone, detached homes, restaurants, international schools and hospitals. As a pilot project, the construction of buildings would start after putting sand into the land of about 40 acres.
Maung Weik also donated Shwe Ge water treatment plant worth Ks500 million to the Mandalay Region government in 2017. The plant was part of the project.
The project attracted criticism from Mandalay residents.
Maung Weik also made other donations in collaboration with the Mandalay Region government. One of the significant events was the seventh golden umbrella-hoisting ceremony of the Maha Wizayanthi Pagoda in Amarapura Township in 2019.
