The Yangon Region government has filed charges against Eleven Media Group and its CEO Than Htut Aung at the Tamwe Township police station, announced Chief Minister Phyo Min Thein yesterday.
The company and the CEO are accused of violating the Telecommunications Law for writing an article that accuses the chief minister of wearing a $100,000 Patek Philippe watch. The article was published on the Eleven Media website on November 6. It also claims that the watch was a gift from a “rich man” who has previously been imprisoned for drug crimes and who has been awarded contracts to develop Yangon’s ‘new city’ project.
At a press conference yesterday, the chief minister said his watch is a Rolex, not a Patek Philippe, and was given to him by his wife before he was appointed chief minister.
“They need to study more carefully if they want to accuse the chief minister of corruption,” he said.
The minister took off his watch and showed it to journalists along with photos of him wearing the same watch in the past.
Maung Weit, a businessman who is widely believed to be the “rich man” in Than Htut Aung’s controversial article, also held a press conference yesterday.
He said: “I have never given a Patek Philippe watch to any minister, especially regional minister Phyo Min Thein.”
U Win Htein, a leading member of the NLD, of which Phyo Min Thein is a member, told BBC Burmese on Tuesday that Eleven Media is guilty of defaming the minister and that his Rolex is worth $3,000, which is ‘more affordable’.
Eleven Media has announced that it will take legal action against U Win Htein for his comments.
Htein Linn, the general manager of Eleven Media, said a summons was delivered to his office from the Tamwe Township police station at 9:30pm yesterday.
Local media have reported that the police have pledged to take action ‘according to procedure’ if Than Htut Aung and Eleven Media chief editor Wai Phyo do not present themselves at the police station by 4pm today.
