Thaksin's wife bail bond set for forfeiture: arrest warrant follows

BANGKOK, Aug 13 (TNA) - Pojaman Shinawatra, wife of Thailand's former
prime minister Thaksin, might have the sum of five million baht -- her
bail bond in a tax evasion lawsuit -- seized and be issued yet another
arrest warrant by the Criminal Court in addition to that already handed out by the Supreme Court.

Criminal Court secretary Narat Imsrisuk said Mrs. Pojaman, who this week
failed to appear in court in the Ratchadaphisek land lawsuit alongside her
husband, might soon have her five million baht bail seized and
be faced with an additional arrest warrant after posting bail for herself
in an appeal at the end of last month.

The Criminal Court at that time passed the unsuspended verdict to sentence
Mrs. Pojaman to a three-year prison term on charges of deliberately
evading income tax for her stock in Shinawatra Computer and Communication
company.

Arrest warrants were issued separately by the Supreme Court's Criminal
Division for Holders of Political Positions for Mrs. Pojaman and Mr.
Thaksin with their Bt13 million bail already seized after the couple,
believed to be seeking political asylum in England, failed to appear in
court Monday.

In addition, Bannaphot Damapong, Mrs. Pojaman's stepbrother, and her
assistant, Kanchanapha Honghern, both earlier charged in the same tax
evasion lawsuit as the ex-premier's wife, would be given similar
treatment, the Criminal Court secretary added. (TNA)