Cablegate: Colombo Plan Money Returned

VZCZCXRO3486
OO RUEHBI
DE RUEHLM #0983 1971113
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 161113Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6452
INFO RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY 0499
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 0288
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 7272
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU PRIORITY 5381
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 3914
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 1200
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 3985
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 3071
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI PRIORITY 7865
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI PRIORITY 5520
RUEHON/AMCONSUL TORONTO PRIORITY 0321
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 2212
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY

UNCLAS COLOMBO 000983

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS, IO/T, AND INL/C/CJ

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AORC PREL CE
SUBJECT: COLOMBO PLAN MONEY RETURNED

REF: A. 06 COLOMBO 2118

B. 06 STATE 200147

On July 13 Colombo Plan Secretariat Finance Officer T.J.
Arifeen confirmed that the money, USD 181,459 and Baht
31,450, seized from Colombo Plan Secretary General Kittipan
Kanjanapipatkul in December 2006 (ref B) was returned to him
and has been deposited into the Colombo Plan Secretariat's
bank account. The Embassy was copied on a June 29 letter
from the Finance Ministry to the Department of Customs
directing that the money should be returned. Sri Lanka
Customs took the money, USD 140,000 of which was INL money
slated to fund a drug advisory program, from Kittipan as he
tried to board a plane for Thailand with the undeclared
currency in his suitcase. Kittipan's term as Secretary
General ends in early August 2007.
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