ID :
109738
Thu, 03/04/2010 - 13:09
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/109738
The shortlink copeid
Thai senators ask anti-graft body to conclude Thaksin cases
BANGKOK, March 4 (TNA) - A group of 40 Senators on Thursday asked Thailand's National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to speed up investigation on criminal cases involving ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra after the highest court ordered the seizure of Bt46.373 billion (US$1.4 billion) of Bt76.6 billion ($2.29 billion) in frozen assets of the Shinawatra family.
The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions ruled last Friday that Mr Thaksin illegally concealed his ownership of stock in Shin Corp, the family's telecommunications empire, and abused his authority during his two terms in office, from 2001-2006 to benefit Shin Corp businesses, therefore the earnings from the shares and dividends gained while Mr Thaksin was in power were assets that were illegally acquired and must be seized.
Representatives of the 40 senators submitted a letter asking the NACC to investigate and gave its recommendation whether Mr Thaksin had violated the Constitution by submitting false statements and concealing his declarable assets during his premiership.
Senator Rosana Tositrakul said the group's action should not be seen as political harassment of Mr Thaksin, but simply that the anti-graft body must urgently investigate the issue given that it is attracting so much public attention.
The majority of judges ruled on Friday that Mr Thaksin had abused his authority to issue government policies converting mobile-phone operators' concession fee into excise tax which unfairly benefited Advanced Info Service (AIS), the flagship company of Shin Corp controlled by his family and the country's largest service provider.
Mr Thaksin and his ex-wife Pojaman na Pombejra earlier claimed that they had transferred their shares in Shin Corp to their children and siblings well before Thaksin entered politics in 2000.
Their children Panthongtae and Pintongta asserted that they were the actual shareholders in Shin Corp before the sale to Temasek Holdings of Singapore and that they were not acting as nominees for their parents.
However, the nine-judge court ruled that Mr Thaksin still holds shares through his children and relatives and retained his decision-making authority in Shin Corp, the telecommunications company founded by Mr Thaksin himself.
Meanwhile, NACC secretary-general Apinan Israngura Na Ayuthaya said his office has requested the Supreme Court of the documents related to the verdict and would compare them with the information at NACC before proceeding with legal procedures.
Mr Apinan added NACC is also examining a other cases in which Mr Thaksin was allegedly involved such as the purchase of the CTX 9000 bomb detectors at Suvarnabhumi Airport, and the privatisation of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, previously a state enterprise, inaddition to the four cases as stated in the highest court's ruling. (TNA)
The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions ruled last Friday that Mr Thaksin illegally concealed his ownership of stock in Shin Corp, the family's telecommunications empire, and abused his authority during his two terms in office, from 2001-2006 to benefit Shin Corp businesses, therefore the earnings from the shares and dividends gained while Mr Thaksin was in power were assets that were illegally acquired and must be seized.
Representatives of the 40 senators submitted a letter asking the NACC to investigate and gave its recommendation whether Mr Thaksin had violated the Constitution by submitting false statements and concealing his declarable assets during his premiership.
Senator Rosana Tositrakul said the group's action should not be seen as political harassment of Mr Thaksin, but simply that the anti-graft body must urgently investigate the issue given that it is attracting so much public attention.
The majority of judges ruled on Friday that Mr Thaksin had abused his authority to issue government policies converting mobile-phone operators' concession fee into excise tax which unfairly benefited Advanced Info Service (AIS), the flagship company of Shin Corp controlled by his family and the country's largest service provider.
Mr Thaksin and his ex-wife Pojaman na Pombejra earlier claimed that they had transferred their shares in Shin Corp to their children and siblings well before Thaksin entered politics in 2000.
Their children Panthongtae and Pintongta asserted that they were the actual shareholders in Shin Corp before the sale to Temasek Holdings of Singapore and that they were not acting as nominees for their parents.
However, the nine-judge court ruled that Mr Thaksin still holds shares through his children and relatives and retained his decision-making authority in Shin Corp, the telecommunications company founded by Mr Thaksin himself.
Meanwhile, NACC secretary-general Apinan Israngura Na Ayuthaya said his office has requested the Supreme Court of the documents related to the verdict and would compare them with the information at NACC before proceeding with legal procedures.
Mr Apinan added NACC is also examining a other cases in which Mr Thaksin was allegedly involved such as the purchase of the CTX 9000 bomb detectors at Suvarnabhumi Airport, and the privatisation of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, previously a state enterprise, inaddition to the four cases as stated in the highest court's ruling. (TNA)
