Tachilek’s district post and telegraph chief is facing a tough grilling following reports that he has been depositing more than 60 million kyat ($46,000) in his bank account, according to an informed source in Maesai, Tachilek’s twin city on the Thai side.

The team of investigators coming from the new capital started “pumping” A.E. Ohn Thwin yesterday about how he had conducted the sales of 500 cell phones and another 500 cable phones that began early in the year.

According to insiders, an applicant for the phones was required to submit copies of his/her citizenship ID card as well as his/her household register, known in Burma as Form 10. “Ohn Thwin had rejected the majority of the applicants, filling in instead with others including Thai and Wa who don’t have Burmese IDs,” he said.

Ohn Thwin, in the process, had cleared at least 100,000 kyat ($80) for each cell phone and 10,000 kyat ($8) for each cable phone. The local Myanmar Economic Bank is said to have more than 50 million kyat ($38,000) in his account, while the Kambawza Bank has another 10 million kyat ($8,000).

In the meanwhile, he had been able to transfer to the ministry the required 1.95 million kyat ($1,500) per cell phone and 600,000 kyat ($460) per cable phone. (In Thailand one can easily buy a cheap cell phone for 1,000 baht or $ 27)

“The joke”, he continued, “is that the junta had already allocated another 500 cell phones and 500 cable phones for military and civilian officials, most of whom have already resold them. However, unlike Ohn Thwin, they are unlikely to face any legal action.”

Resold, a cable phone will get one 1 million kyat ($770) and a cell phone 2.5 million kyat ($1,923) in Tachilek. In Rangoon, the price of cell phones goes up to 3 million ($2,307), according to him.

The military in Burma, since July, has been launching what some observers term as a war against graft. “It’s a war against expendable people,” he remarked. “They’re only cutting off the tree without removing its roots – themselves.”