U Phyo Min Thein testified in court that he bribed Daw Aung San Su Kyi so that she ‘looks after him’: Defendant’s lawyer

Former Yangon Chief Minister Phyo Min Thein, who is acting as a civilian witness for the ruling military, testified in court that he bribed Daw Aung San Su Kyi with dollars and gold so that she ‘looks after him,’ says defendant lawyer U Kyi Win.  

The cases against Daw Aung San Su Kyi filed at the Mandalay Region high court under the anti-corruption law were heard at the Nay Pyi Taw special court on October 8th. Phyo Min Thein, the civilian witness for the ruling military, was questioned regarding the corruption charges against Daw Aung San Su Kyi. 

“Phyo Min Thein testified that he gave 7 viss of gold and U.S. dollars to Daw Aung San Su Kyi. He made these bribes on three separate instances. He provided these same answers when he was questioned (by the defendant’s lawyers). He couldn’t provide any explanations. He said he bribed her so that he could be looked after by Daw Aung San Su Kyi,” says defendant lawyer U Kyi Win. 

On October 1st, Phyo Min Thein appeared in court for the first time and testified against Daw Aung San Su Kyi as he did in the video clip released in a SAC’s press conference in March. On October 4th, Daw Aung San Su Kyi through her lawyer labeled these testimonies against her by Phyo Min Thein as “all absurd.”

“Daw Aung San Su Kyi called these charges and testimonies against her as she did the other day: ‘all absurd.’ She knows that this case against her is nonsense. Today she only talked about the cases filed against her. The four cases against her today are all anti-corruption cases,” says defendant lawyer Kyi Win. 

The wife of former Yangon Region Chief Minister did not appear in court today, but her name was on the plaintiff’s list, according to defendant lawyer Kyi Win.