The Anti-Corruption Commission, under the direction of the military junta, is preparing a lawsuit against former Union Minister for Religious Affairs and Culture Thura U Aung Ko in the National League for Democracy (NLD) government, according to the state-owned media report made on the 5th March.

According to the report, the ACC’s corruption investigation against Thura U Aung Ko, a former senior military officer, alleges misuse of finances belonging to the annual program he oversees to confer honorary titles to select laypersons for their support to religious affairs.  

The ACC alleges Thura U Aung Ko received a 1 million Kyat bribe from a potential title winner on 21st July 2020, a bank cheque for Kyat 30 million Kyat on 21st March 2020, and that he withdrew cash from program funds on 16th July 2020.

He was also accused of accepting a new Ford car from a businessperson.

Thura Aung Ko is known as a close friend of State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. When he took the action to disband Ma Ba Tha, an extremist nationalist group responsible for inciting violence. 

The ACC stated that the former Union Minister will be charged under Article 55 of Myanmar’s Anti-Corruption Law, which can result in imprisonment for up to 15 years and a fine.

Last month, the military junta filed a lawsuit against  NLD’s Union Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Dr Win Myat Aye under Article 505(a) of the Penal Code for his alleged involvement in the civil disobedience movement.