Myanmar’s ousted Prime Minister Khin Nyunt was involved in corruption and posed a serious threat to the country and its armed forces, state media on Sunday quoted a senior official in the military government as saying.

Khin Nyunt, regarded as a moderate in the junta that has run the former Burma in various guises since 1962, and many of his associates were ousted last month. He was also removed as military intelligence chief. Myanmar television and radio at the time said he had been “permitted to retire for health reasons”. The purge saw army hardliners under strongman Than Shwe consolidate their grip on power.

General Thura Shwe Mann, the junta’s third most powerful figure, spelled out for the first time the alleged wrongdoings of the former prime minister in comments carried by newspapers almost three weeks after the Oct. 19 ouster. The general accused Khin Nyunt’s staff and family of taking bribes and said he had turned a blind eye.

“He committed certain acts that were not legal and his family was involved in bribery and corruption,” the media quoted Thura Shwe Mann as telling a meeting of businessmen late last month. The West has criticised Myanmar for its detention of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and over its human rights record. Khin Nyunt was believed to be willing to talk to her. Tura Shwe Mann did not say whether legal action would be taken against the ousted prime minister, who was succeeded by Lieutenant-General Soe Win, a conservative.

He said the former prime minister’s intelligence personnel in a northeastern region bordering China had made at least three billion kyat ($1 million) in ill-gotten cash in the past couple of months. He also said junta strongman Senior General Than Shwe told Khin Nyunt in early October he would appoint a new intelligence chief to “relieve pressure on him and enable him to carry out his responsibilities as Prime Minister more effectively.” But a defiant Khin Nyunt instead ordered his intelligence officers to gather information about commanders loyal to Than Shwe to present to a cabinet meeting, he said. “As this was not only leading to the disintegration of the Tatmadaw (armed forces) but also posed a serious threat to the nation, Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt was permitted to retire on Oct. 19,” Tura Shwe Mann said. He said a total of 186 staff from military intelligence and three civilian departments had been punished in accordance with the law in connection with the corruption scandal.

<B>Aung Hla Tun</B>