ID :
24668
Wed, 10/15/2008 - 18:17
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/24668
The shortlink copeid
Thai court issues fifth arrest warrant for Thaksin
BANGKOK, Oct 15 (TNA) - Thailand's Supreme Court Criminal Division for
Holders of Political Positions on Wednesday issued one more arrest warrant for ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra after he failed to appear for the first court hearing for a case in which he stands accused of malfeasance involving the conversion of telecom concession fees into excise tax in 2003, to favour his family's business.
Justice Pornpetch Pichitchonlachai headed a nine-judge panel which ruled
that as the defendant failed to appear in court without prior notification
of postponement, therefore there is reason to believe that the defendant
had no intention of appearing at the hearing.
The court then issued a warrant calling for Mr. Thaksin's arrest in order
to bring the defendant to court.
Justice Pornpetch conceded, however, that in practical terms the case must
be temporarily suspended until the defendant can be brought to stand
trial.
The Attorney General filed suit against former prime minister Thaksin
after he was found guilty of malfeasance charges, that he had abused his
power during his five years of premiership to bring about undue and
inappropriate gain to Shin Corp, a telecom business owned by his family,
by turning a portion of the telecoms concession fees into excise tax.
The former cabinet's decision, now revoked, allowed all private telecom
operators to deduct a portion of their concession fees to be paid as
excise tax before sharing the remaining concession fees with the state
concession owners, causing the state to lose hefty revenues from the
concession fees.
Mr. Thaksin then sold his family's stake in Shin Corp to Singapore's
state-owned investment arm Temasek for almost US$1.9 billion.
The tax-free sale angered many Thais, resulting in street protests in the
capital that ended in the bloodless coup staged by the military in
September 2006 ousting Mr. Thaksin from power.
Ex-premier Thaksin is now living in exile with his family in London and
seeking political asylum in Britain.
Holders of Political Positions on Wednesday issued one more arrest warrant for ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra after he failed to appear for the first court hearing for a case in which he stands accused of malfeasance involving the conversion of telecom concession fees into excise tax in 2003, to favour his family's business.
Justice Pornpetch Pichitchonlachai headed a nine-judge panel which ruled
that as the defendant failed to appear in court without prior notification
of postponement, therefore there is reason to believe that the defendant
had no intention of appearing at the hearing.
The court then issued a warrant calling for Mr. Thaksin's arrest in order
to bring the defendant to court.
Justice Pornpetch conceded, however, that in practical terms the case must
be temporarily suspended until the defendant can be brought to stand
trial.
The Attorney General filed suit against former prime minister Thaksin
after he was found guilty of malfeasance charges, that he had abused his
power during his five years of premiership to bring about undue and
inappropriate gain to Shin Corp, a telecom business owned by his family,
by turning a portion of the telecoms concession fees into excise tax.
The former cabinet's decision, now revoked, allowed all private telecom
operators to deduct a portion of their concession fees to be paid as
excise tax before sharing the remaining concession fees with the state
concession owners, causing the state to lose hefty revenues from the
concession fees.
Mr. Thaksin then sold his family's stake in Shin Corp to Singapore's
state-owned investment arm Temasek for almost US$1.9 billion.
The tax-free sale angered many Thais, resulting in street protests in the
capital that ended in the bloodless coup staged by the military in
September 2006 ousting Mr. Thaksin from power.
Ex-premier Thaksin is now living in exile with his family in London and
seeking political asylum in Britain.
