The BBC has just reported that the Thai Government has confirmed that it will freeze a number (21) of former prime minister Thaksins bank accounts containing over 800 million pounds.
I wonder what will happen to his bid for Man City Football Club! Mind you only 800 million, I should think that that's only a drop in the ocean to Thaksin and family.
Originally Posted by sanook
FREEZE, not seize.
Thaksin fortune frozen
BangkokPost.com
The Assets Examination Committee has ordered that cash assets of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra and some of his associates be frozen for alleged corruption and misconduct.
Thaksin family spokesman and lawyer Noppadol Pattama quoted Mr Thaksin as saying he will "fight until the end. I will bring the case to both the criminal and civil courts. This is not fair. The aim is to prevent the ex-PM and his wife from running their own normal lives. " He said the new move was politically motivated..
The AEC decided to freeze Mr Thaksin's assets on the basis that he is under investigation on charges of conflict of interest. Affected immediately will be 21 bank accounts in the name of Mr Thaksin and his wife. The committee said they have deposits of 52.9 billion baht, or about $1.5 billion. Billions more had already been withdrawn, the AEC said, presumably moved abroad.
According to AEC member Kaewsan Atiphoti, who acted as a spokesman, Mr Thaksin is supposed to appear to defend today's allegations within 60 days. It was not clear how he could do that. Mr Kaewsan also said that the ex-premier could appeal the order freezing his assets.
According to the investigations, Thaksin and his cronies were believed to be corrupt and commit wrongdoings in 11 cases involving tens of billions of baht and that's why this action has to be taken based on Order Number 30 issued by the Council for National Security," according to an official press release issued by the panel early on Monday evening.
He emphasised that the order was necessary because if a competent court decides that Mr. Thaksin is guilty as charged, the assets will be forfeited.
"Investigations showed, among those cases, they have illegally obtained wealth through abuses of power to benefit Shin Corp." Mr Kaewsan said the ousted premier have already faced five charges of irregularities in implementing government projects. They include
- purchase of a plot of land worth about 760 million baht, or $22 million,
- purchase of rubber seeds worth 1.12 billion baht, or $32.6 million,
- the CTX bomb scanners worth around 1.5 billion baht, or $42.9 million,
- the two and three-digit lottery project worth 38 billion baht or $1.1 billion, and,
- an exemption of concession fees for his telecom company of 30.2 billion baht or $876 million.
The committee told banks and other finance houses to report all transactions on all affected accounts dating back to 2001, apparently to go fishing for further evidence to substantitate legal charges or corruption and malfeasance.
Bangkok Post
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