ID :
15542
Mon, 08/11/2008 - 15:24
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/15542
The shortlink copeid
THAKSIN SEEKS ASYLUM IN BRITAIN
By D. Arul Rajoo
BANGKOK, Aug 11 (Bernama ) -- Thailand's ousted prime minister Thaksin
Shinawatra, who is facing numerous corruption and power abuse charges, is seeking political asylum in Britain.
In a statement issued to the government-owned NBT television channel,
Thaksin said he was leaving for London where he has a home because Thailand's justice system was not being fair to him and practised double standards.
Thaksin, who was ousted by the military in a coup on Sept 19 2006 after
five
years in office, also said that his life was in danger and cited the
bullet-proof car he had to use while travelling in the country.
The policeman-turned-telecommunication billionaire was supposed to testify
at the Supreme Court today in connection with a 772-million baht (about RM76
million) land purchase at Rachadaphisek Road here six years ago.
"I love my country and I am loyal to the king. I may not be a 100 per cent
good person but I am not a bad person either. If I have the chance, I want to
come back and die in my own country," Thaksin said in the statement, which was
faxed to the television station and read over the channel just before
noon.
Rumours of Thaksin and his family seeking asylum were rife in the past week
when he left Bangkok for Beijing to watch the opening ceremony of the Olympic
Games.
The rumours gained momentum after Thaksin and his wife, Potjaman, did not
board the Thai Airways International flight in the Chinese capital Sunday, and
failed to appear in court here Monday morning. His three children are said to
have left for London on Saturday.
Two weeks ago, the Criminal Court sentenced Potjaman to three years in jail
after she was found guilty of tax evasion.
The Supreme Court is expected to issue a warrant of arrest for Thaksin, who
bought the Manchester City Football Club last year and spent most of his time in
the British capital before returning home for the first time in February after
17 months in exile.
One of his lawyers, Wichit Plungsrikul, told reporters Thaksin and his
family have arrived in London.
Thaksin was ousted after months of massive street protests against his
alleged corrupt practices as well as the controversial sale of his Shin Corp to
Singapore's Temasek Holdings.
His party, Thai Rak Thai, was dissolved by the Constitutional Court in 2007
but his supporters regained power when the People's Power Party won the December
2007 election.
The charges came at the end of long investigations by the
military-appointed Assets Examination Committee (AEC) to probe Thaksin's
wrongdoings during his five-year rule.
The AEC found that there were irregularities in several cases, including
the purchase of 1.5 billion baht (RM147,000) CTX 9000 scanners for the new
airport, the tax-free 73 billion baht (RM7.18 billion) sale of Shin Corporation
to Temasek in January last year, the two-and three-digit lottery project worth
37.8 billion baht (RM3.7 billion) and the exemption of telecom firms having to
pay concession fees worth 30.7 billion baht (RM3 billion).
Thaksin's assets, worth about 69 billion baht (RM6.7 billion), have been
frozen by the previous military government.
-- BERNAMA
BANGKOK, Aug 11 (Bernama ) -- Thailand's ousted prime minister Thaksin
Shinawatra, who is facing numerous corruption and power abuse charges, is seeking political asylum in Britain.
In a statement issued to the government-owned NBT television channel,
Thaksin said he was leaving for London where he has a home because Thailand's justice system was not being fair to him and practised double standards.
Thaksin, who was ousted by the military in a coup on Sept 19 2006 after
five
years in office, also said that his life was in danger and cited the
bullet-proof car he had to use while travelling in the country.
The policeman-turned-telecommunication billionaire was supposed to testify
at the Supreme Court today in connection with a 772-million baht (about RM76
million) land purchase at Rachadaphisek Road here six years ago.
"I love my country and I am loyal to the king. I may not be a 100 per cent
good person but I am not a bad person either. If I have the chance, I want to
come back and die in my own country," Thaksin said in the statement, which was
faxed to the television station and read over the channel just before
noon.
Rumours of Thaksin and his family seeking asylum were rife in the past week
when he left Bangkok for Beijing to watch the opening ceremony of the Olympic
Games.
The rumours gained momentum after Thaksin and his wife, Potjaman, did not
board the Thai Airways International flight in the Chinese capital Sunday, and
failed to appear in court here Monday morning. His three children are said to
have left for London on Saturday.
Two weeks ago, the Criminal Court sentenced Potjaman to three years in jail
after she was found guilty of tax evasion.
The Supreme Court is expected to issue a warrant of arrest for Thaksin, who
bought the Manchester City Football Club last year and spent most of his time in
the British capital before returning home for the first time in February after
17 months in exile.
One of his lawyers, Wichit Plungsrikul, told reporters Thaksin and his
family have arrived in London.
Thaksin was ousted after months of massive street protests against his
alleged corrupt practices as well as the controversial sale of his Shin Corp to
Singapore's Temasek Holdings.
His party, Thai Rak Thai, was dissolved by the Constitutional Court in 2007
but his supporters regained power when the People's Power Party won the December
2007 election.
The charges came at the end of long investigations by the
military-appointed Assets Examination Committee (AEC) to probe Thaksin's
wrongdoings during his five-year rule.
The AEC found that there were irregularities in several cases, including
the purchase of 1.5 billion baht (RM147,000) CTX 9000 scanners for the new
airport, the tax-free 73 billion baht (RM7.18 billion) sale of Shin Corporation
to Temasek in January last year, the two-and three-digit lottery project worth
37.8 billion baht (RM3.7 billion) and the exemption of telecom firms having to
pay concession fees worth 30.7 billion baht (RM3 billion).
Thaksin's assets, worth about 69 billion baht (RM6.7 billion), have been
frozen by the previous military government.
-- BERNAMA
