Graft-busting agency files new corruption charges against Thaksin

Bankok, June 28 (TNA) - Thailand's Assets Examination Committee (AEC)
filed lawsuits against former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on charges of abuse of power and negligence of duty, in time before its mandate expires on June 30.

The probe panel submitted the charges contained in an 1,880-page document
to the Supreme Court handling criminal lawsuits against persons with
political status involving a four-billion baht (US$127 million)
Export-Import Bank of Thailand (Exim Bank) loan provided to Myanmar.

The Exim Bank loan was allegedly provided to the Myanmar government for
telecommunications development in return for procurement of telecom
equipment of Shin Satellite, a subsidiary of Shin Corp, which was then
owned by Thaksin's family.

In addition, the AEC also submitted malfeasance and corruption charges
against former ministers of the Thaksin administration, senior government
officials and executives of private firms involving the Agriculture
Ministry's 90 million rubber sapling project worth 1.44 billion baht
(US$42.9 million)

The executives allegedly involved in the sapling distribution scheme
included those from Charoen Pokphand Seeds Co, Resort Land Co and
Ekcharoen Karnkaset Co.

However, the Constitution Court is yet to rule on the legality of the AEC
itself, as its term had been extended and was scheduled to end Monday,
before the Supreme Court may proceed with the charges. (TNA)