The US heavy-duty machinery firm John Deere has agreed to pay US$10 million to settle US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charges that it bribed state agencies in Thailand to win business.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a statement on Tuesday stating that the bribes were in the form of massage parlour services, extravagant overseas vacations, and other inappropriate gifts to secure government business.

Wirtgen Thailand, John Deere’s wholly-owned local subsidiary, committed the offences from late 2017 to 2020.

According to the SEC, Officials from the Royal Thai Air Force, the Department of Highways, and the Department of Rural Roads received the bribes. The payments violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in the United States.

Fake John Deere Factory Visits

According to the SEC, bribes between 2017 and 2020 included cash, meals, false consulting fees, sightseeing ventures disguised as “factory visits” in Switzerland and other European countries, and massage parlour entertainment.

In the interim, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) announced yesterday that it is investigating corruption in the wake of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) report.

The NACC’s deputy secretary-general and spokesperson, Nitiphan Prachuabmoh, stated that the agency is gathering information and collaborating with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). He also stated that the agency will ensure that the company and the state officials who accepted the bribe are prosecuted.

Meanwhile, the Commander in Chief of the Royal Thai Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Punpakdee Pattanakul, told a press briefing on Thursday that he was aware of the SEC report and was informed that the bribes allegedly happened between 2019 and 2020.

He stated that the incident occurred in the past, that the Air Force operates transparently, and that all information is verifiable.

Mr. Sarawut Songsivilai, the director-general of the Department of Highways, also stated that he was unaware of the allegations until Wednesday but has pledged to conduct an urgent investigation. The Department of Rural Roads did not make any public statements.