An anti-graft panel Monday ordered 8 billion baht (US$245.7
million) in assets belonging to the family of ousted Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatra frozen, following up a similar action it took
last week.
The Asset Examination Committee had already frozen 52.88 billion
baht (US$1.63 billion) believed to be proceeds from the Shinawatra
family's 73.3 billion baht (US$1.9 billion) sale last year of
telecommunications company Shin Corp to Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd, a
Singapore state investment company. It alleged there was reason to
believe the deal involved corruption.
Sak Korsaengruang said the committee determined that the 8
billion baht had been shifted out of the earlier frozen bank
accounts shortly before the order was issued covering them.
Meanwhile, Thailand's state prosecutor agreed to submit to court
a criminal case charging ousted Shinawatra and his wife with
wrongdoing in connection with a controversial land purchase, radio
news reports said.
Attorney-General Phatchara Yutithamdamrong said at a news
conference that he will submit a lawsuit on Thursday to the branch
of the Supreme Court that handles cases of political office
holders, the INN radio news network and 105 FM Wisdom Radio
reported.
The attorney-general's office also recommended that the plot of
land purchased by Thaksin's wife Pojamarn be seized, reports
said.
The court will have to accept the case for it to proceed.
Thaksin was toppled by a bloodless coup last September, and has
been targeted by several investigations into alleged corruption and
abuse of power.
Last month, the Assets Examination Committee - established by
the coup makers - decided to recommend to prosecutors that Thaksin
and his wife be brought before the Supreme Court on charges of
conflict of interest and malfeasance in connection with the land
deal.
The case involves Pojamarn's 2003 purchase of some prime Bangkok
real estate from the Financial Institutions Development Fund, which
is directed by the central bank.
An anti-corruption law bars prime ministers or their spouses
from doing business with a government agency, and the Assets
Examination Committee said Thaksin as prime minister ultimately
oversaw the FIDF.
The conflict of interest and malfeasance charges each carry a
maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
(China Daily via agencies June 19, 2007)
