Thaksin May Face More Arrest Warrants

[monty]

Department of Special Investigation (DSI) planned Wednesday to ask the courts for more arrest warrants for ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife Potjaman for concealing shares of SC Assets, a listed property developer, if they fail to hear charges on Friday.

DSI director-general Sunai Manomai-udom said Wednesday that it is highly likely that the pair will not report themselves to police investigators, but DSI will have to wait until the scheduled date before they could ask the court to issue arrest warrants for them.

Bangkok Post

Full article here: http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=120886

[sriracha john]

Thaksin, wife may face second batch of arrest warrants

A second batch of arrest warrants may be issued if former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife Pojaman fail to surrender themselves to the Department of Special Investigation Friday.

Thaksin and Pojaman are obliged to acknowledge criminal charges relating to their alleged involvement in the coverup of their equity stakes in SC Asset Corporation, a listed company for property development.

Friday is the final deadline for the two to respond to the summonses.

Three other suspects, Thaksin's sister-in-law Busaba Damapong, his sister Yingluck Shinawatra and his relative Penchom Damapong, have already reported to the authorities.

In the first batch of warrants on Tuesday, the Supreme Court ordered Thaksin and Pojaman arrested for evading the judicial proceedings. The two failed to appear for arraignment on abuse of power charges relating to the 2003 Ratchadaphisek land deal.

- The Nation

[Plus]

White collar crime, hiding shares and assets - it will be tough to argue that those are political charges. Thaksin's cridibility will seriously suffer if can't present himself as a political victim.

[Tony Clifton]

I wonder if they'll dare wear yellow again?

[sriracha john]

"Oh, what a tangled web Thaksin weaves"....

Thaksin couple may face more arrest warrants

BANGKOK -- Thailand's Department of Special Investigation (DSI) planned Wednesday to issue arrest warrants for ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife Potjaman for concealing assets of SC Assets, a listed property developer, if they fail to hear charges on Friday.

DSI director-general Sunai Manomai-udom said Wednesday that it is highly likely that the pair will not report themselves to police investigators, but DSI will have to wait until the scheduled date before they could ask the court to issue arrest warrants for them.

If the couple do not show up, police investigators will meet and discuss on request for arrest warrants. Then, they will forward the case to prosecutors, asking it to find ways to extradite the pair back.

The DSI announced there was evidence the accused conspired in concealing their shares in SC Assets, a listed company, which is in violation of the Securities and Exchange Act. Involved are four overseas funds - Win Mark, Value Investment Mutual Fund (VIF), Overseas Growth Fund (OGF) and Offshore Dynamic Fund (ODF).

SC Assets was set up before 2000 by Thaksin and his family. A portion of shares in the company, as well as five other companies owned by his family, were sold to British Virgin Islands-registered Win Mark in mid-2000 at the combined value of 1.527 billion baht (33 baht to one U.S. dollar). The other five companies are PT Corporation, Worth Supplies, BP Property, SCK Estate and SC Office Park.

Three years later, Win Mark sold SC Asset shares to VIF. In the same year, VIF forewent the rights for new SC Asset shares to Thaksin's daughters - Pinthongta and Paethongtarn - who automatically netted 71 million baht in capital gains from the new shares, which were priced at 15 baht against 10 baht par value.

Shortly after that, VIF transferred the SC Assets shares to OGF and ODF, which held the shares until August 2006.

In 2004, Win Mark sold shares in the other five companies to Pinthongta and two family companies at cost, raising doubts of its intention in having held the shares for a long time.

The DSI's investigation concluded that in filing its initial public offering application in 2003, SC Assets failed to include shares owned by OGF and ODF in the Shinawatra family's stake. If included, the family's stake could have been 79.87 percent, not 60.82 percent as stated, which meant a controlling power over the company.

That action violated the SEC Act and Busaba, then director who co-certified the filing, is liable to five years imprisonment and fines twice the value of the securities involved.

Meanwhile, Thaksin was accused of using his authority as the prime minister to influence the purchase of a land in Bangkok worth 772 million baht (33 baht to one U.S. dollar) by his wife Potjaman from the Financial Institutions Development Fund in 2003.

On Tuesday, Thai Supreme Court's Criminal Tribunal for Political Office Holder approved the request of public prosecutors to issue arrest warrants against the couple after they failed to appear in the court be officially arraigned.

- Xinhua

[sriracha john]

More arrest warrants sought for Thaksin, wife

BANGKOK – Thai authorities are expected to obtain additional arrest warrants for deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife, Pojaman, shortly on charges of concealing their stock portions of SC Asset Corp, said Department of Special Investigation chief Sunai Manomai-udom.

The deposed prime minister, who has remained in England since last year's military coup, along with his spouse, had been scheduled for Friday (August 17) to hear formal charges involving their SC Asset Corp stock holdings from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).

However, the couple are thought now not to show up anytime soon and, for that reason, arrest warrants would be sought from the court so that the Office of Attorney General will take steps to have the former prime minister returned to Thailand from England by extradition just as in the case of the Ratchadaphisek land transaction, according to the DSI chief.

Three other defendants, namely Yingluck Shinawatra, Busaba Damapong and Pensome Damapong, are also obliged to hear formal charges over the SC Asset scandal on Friday. Arrest warrants will likely be issued should those persons, who are closely connected with the deposed prime minister and his spouse, fail to show up as well, he said.

The DSI chief had said earlier that Mr. Thaksin, while serving in the Cabinet of an earlier government, and his wife, had secretly owned stocks through nominee companies in SC Asset, a real estate company operated by the Shinawatra family.

The couple allegedly violated regulations requiring them to disclose corporate information to the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Mr. Thaksin was also charged with holding shares in publicly listed companies despite a prohibition against serving Cabinet members to do so.

If found guilty, the ex-premier and his wife face a maximum jail term of five years and a fine equivalent to twice the value of the shares they had traded.

- MCOT

[lazeeboy]

More arrest warrants sought for Thaksin, wife

BANGKOK – Thai authorities are expected to obtain additional arrest warrants for deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife, Pojaman, shortly on charges of concealing their stock portions of SC Asset Corp, said Department of Special Investigation chief Sunai Manomai-udom.

The deposed prime minister, who has remained in England since last year's military coup, along with his spouse, had been scheduled for Friday (August 17) to hear formal charges involving their SC Asset Corp stock holdings from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).

However, the couple are thought now not to show up anytime soon and, for that reason, arrest warrants would be sought from the court so that the Office of Attorney General will take steps to have the former prime minister returned to Thailand from England by extradition just as in the case of the Ratchadaphisek land transaction, according to the DSI chief.

Three other defendants, namely Yingluck Shinawatra, Busaba Damapong and Pensome Damapong, are also obliged to hear formal charges over the SC Asset scandal on Friday. Arrest warrants will likely be issued should those persons, who are closely connected with the deposed prime minister and his spouse, fail to show up as well, he said.

The DSI chief had said earlier that Mr. Thaksin, while serving in the Cabinet of an earlier government, and his wife, had secretly owned stocks through nominee companies in SC Asset, a real estate company operated by the Shinawatra family.

The couple allegedly violated regulations requiring them to disclose corporate information to the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Mr. Thaksin was also charged with holding shares in publicly listed companies despite a prohibition against serving Cabinet members to do so.

If found guilty, the ex-premier and his wife face a maximum jail term of five years and a fine equivalent to twice the value of the shares they had traded.

- MCOT

never going to happen ,never coming back under this government ,maybe the next if there his mates .........

[younghusband]

White collar crime, hiding shares and assets - it will be tough to argue that those are political charges. Thaksin's cridibility will seriously suffer if can't present himself as a political victim.

You are missing the point I'm afraid.It's not that Thaksin has not committed offences for which he needs to account.The problem is that Thailand is perceived by civilised countries as being ruled by a junta which illegally overthrew an alected government, and where the record of the judiciary is deeply compromised.I agree that Thaksin needs to account for the charges, but the reality is that this will only happen when there has been a return to democracy.

In practice of course, as I suspect you know as well as I do, a compromise will be struck in time honoured Thai tradition.At this stage it's all about point scoring.

[Suszzy]

slim chance that he will go back to thailand.

he and his wife were at man city ground today watching his team play

against derby. he semed happy enough to smiled and waved to supporters.

arrest warrants...i don't think he will lose any sleep over this.

[Scott]

This whole saga is getting as complicated as the Anna Nicole thing....and just as hard to follow. Actually, I would like to see the gov't attend to some of the immediate problems facing the country and let the Courts do their job. Of course, that's not going to happen and yes, deals will probably be struck and frozen assets released and wealth spread around at the upper echeleons and everyone will be happy.

[sriracha john]

Arrest warrants piling up

SC Asset case deadline for Thaksin, Potjaman

Deposed PM Thaksin Shinawatra is facing another arrest warrant, this time in a case handled by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI). He is also up against another legal battle over alleged fraud investigated by the Assets Scrutiny Committee (ASC) which includes the Suvarnabhumi airport X-ray scanners controversy. Thaksin and his wife Potjaman, now in London, must appear tomorrow to testify in the share concealment case involving SC Asset Co, a property firm run by his family. Seksan Bangsombun, the Attorney-General office's director-general for special litigation who is responsible for the case, said prosecutors were studying legal channels to seek the extradition of Mr Thaksin and his wife from Britain. Thailand and Britain have an extradition treaty signed in 1912. The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned the Ratchada land case hearing until Sept 25. If Thaksin and his wife do not appear then, the court has the option of going ahead with the trial in their absence in line with the 1999 law governing the prosecution of holders of political positions.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/16Aug2007_news01.php

[jumnien]

Anyone who can storm the government with 14 tanks shouldn't need or want an arrest warrant. What's the real truth?

[Plus]

Actually, I would like to see the gov't attend to some of the immediate problems facing the country and let the Courts do their job.

Haven't you noticed that it's the Supreme Court that issued the warrants, not the government? On his part Surayud only publicly guaranteed Thaksin's safety.

Deal will not be struck any time soon as Thaksin hasn't got any chips to bargain. Maybe if his proxies win big in the elections he'll have something to offer.

You are missing the point I'm afraid... The problem is that Thailand is perceived by civilised countries as being ruled by a junta which illegally overthrew an alected government, and where the record of the judiciary is deeply compromised.

I don't think that this is the picture the British public is getting from their latest news reports about Thaksin.

It will be extremely difficult for Thaksin to convince anyone that there's nothing but political prosecution to these charges - his wife bought the land from the government, hasn't she? No doubt about that.

Anyway, he's got only a few months left before the elected government takes over while the arrest warrants will stand for years.

And factually it's untrue - Thaksin wasn't an elected leader at the time of the coup, he dissolved the parlament, remember? Small details like this will not get noticed by the public at large, however, unless the press turns it into a witch hunt.

[younghusband]

Actually, I would like to see the gov't attend to some of the immediate problems facing the country and let the Courts do their job.

Haven't you noticed that it's the Supreme Court that issued the warrants, not the government? On his part Surayud only publicly guaranteed Thaksin's safety.

Deal will not be struck any time soon as Thaksin hasn't got any chips to bargain. Maybe if his proxies win big in the elections he'll have something to offer.

You are missing the point I'm afraid... The problem is that Thailand is perceived by civilised countries as being ruled by a junta which illegally overthrew an alected government, and where the record of the judiciary is deeply compromised.

I don't think that this is the picture the British public is getting from their latest news reports about Thaksin.

It will be extremely difficult for Thaksin to convince anyone that there's nothing but political prosecution to these charges - his wife bought the land from the government, hasn't she? No doubt about that.

Anyway, he's got only a few months left before the elected government takes over while the arrest warrants will stand for years.

And factually it's untrue - Thaksin wasn't an elected leader at the time of the coup, he dissolved the parlament, remember? Small details like this will not get noticed by the public at large, however, unless the press turns it into a witch hunt.

Once democracy is restored the pressure to do a deal will increase dramatically.I agree there is no obvious prospect under the junta.

In terms of extradition issues in the UK, don't insult members intelligence.The British Government knows as as well as anyone the whole issue of extradition is just part of the Thailand elite's fury with Thaksin.There are obviously real charges to be addressed but it is equally clear the issue is politically motivated.For this reason extradition will not proceed.

I accept that Thaksin was not technically PM at the time of the coup.Nevertheless he had the mandate of the Thai people.The junta had none.

[Sanpatong]

.i don't think he will lose any sleep over this.

Nor should he.

Bunch of incompetent clowns in a junta making allegations.. Honestly.

Britain will be extraditing people to North Korea next.

LOL!

[lazeeboy]

.i don't think he will lose any sleep over this.

Nor should he.

Bunch of incompetent clowns in a junta making allegations.. Honestly.

Britain will be extraditing people to North Korea next.

LOL!

they can issue as many as they like ,the uk will not send him back to a country run by a coup .

[Maxi101]

"Good" idea to keep him in the media, but their mistake is

It worked the time they took over, but time has changed.

My guess is that the nowadays effect is to anger people who are more and more connect his name to better (economical) times.

Might awake anger ....

[Maxi101]

... and my mistake is i do not reread the stuff I sent.

Lets just forget the last sentence guys ehh ?!

[sriracha john]

DSI to Seek New Arrest Warrant for Thaksin and Wife

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) plans to seek new arrest warrants for deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife Potjaman if they fail to appear before the department by tomorrow’s dead line.

Alleged for involvement in concealing their equity stakes in SC Asset Corporation, a listed property development company run by their family, Thaksin and Potjaman are given until Friday to respond to the summonses.

Currently residing in London, the couple is obligated to acknowledged criminal charges against them and must appear before the department’s panel to testify against the alleged charges.

Three other suspects, who are present and former executives of SC Asset Corp. comprise of Thaksin’s younger sister Yingluck Shinawatra, his sister-in-law Busaba Damapong and his distant relative Penchom Damapong. However, all three suspects have already reported to the authorities.

After being investigated by the DSI and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the accused were found guilty for hiding shares in an Offshore Dynamic Fund and an Overseas Growth fund without reporting to the SEC.

Their immense shares in SC Asset and two other nominated companies had given them extreme authority of the board and to preside over the shareholder’s meetings.

According to DSI director-general Sunai Manomai-udom, Thaksin’s cronies had expressed readiness to testify before the panel if the processes were to proceed as scheduled.

The first batch of arrest warrants for the deposed Prime Minister and his wife were issued by the Supreme Court on Tuesday for evading the judicial proceedings. The couple failed to appear for arraignment on a case concerning their abuse of power in the 2003 Ratchadaphisek land purchase deal.

Aside to their first batch of arrest warrants and another underway, Thaksin and Potjaman would be engaged in legal battles against malfeasant allegations investigated by the Assets Examination Committee where their involvement in the Suvaranaphumi airport CTX bomb scanners is still controversial.

- Thailand Outlook

[TAWP]

Why are so many people in this thread having problems with separating the junta from the court and judges?

Edited August 17, 2007 by TAWP

[Scott]

I don't think the problem is separating the Junta from the Court. It seems like the gov't is just a little too involved in the Court's business. It would probably be better for politicians and others in the gov't to keep quiet and let investigations go on without quite so much commentary. This tends to make the procedure seem "tainted" and the outcome predisposed.

Whether it's true or not, I don't know, but it gives the appearance of political interference in a legal matter.

[John K]

Why are so many people in this thread having problems with separating the junta from the court and judges?

The answer is because Thaksin is doing his best to marry them, but yes good point. Sonthi left the courts untouched, and HRH gave them some words of encouragement.

And certainly that raises the question based on Thaksin’s very weak position about the courts not being fair. However Thaksin’s definition of fair is he always wins.

[sriracha john]

In baseball, it's called the "on deck circle".... where the next scheduled batter warms up...

Thaksin warrants planned in SC Asset case

BANGKOK - The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) plans to obtain arrest warrants for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his spouse, Pojaman, over the SC Asset Corp stock concealment charges next week, DSI chief Sunai Manomai-udom announced Friday.

The DSI will ask the court sometime next week to issue arrest warrants for the deposed prime minister, who has remained in England following last year's military coup, as well as his spouse, in order to force them to stand trial for the SC Asset scandal.

The deposed prime minister had been scheduled for Friday (August 17) to hear formal charges involving their SC Asset Corp stock holdings from the DSI. However, the couple failed to show up and, for that reason, arrest warrants would be sought from the court so that the Office of the Attorney General will take steps to have them return to Thailand by extradition.

The speculated arrest warrants would be a second for Mr. Thaksin and his spouse, following earlier warrants issued to bring them to court over a separate lawsuit involving the Ratchadphisek land deal.

The DSI chief declined to comment whether or not the British authorities will agree to have the Thai former prime minister returned home on criminal extradition grounds, saying the legal matter would likely be decided upon by British court.

Mr. Sunai said such lawsuits are valid for 10 years and should not be considered political.

Two others accused in the SC Asset scandal and related to Pojaman, namely Phensom Damapong and Bussaba Damapong, appeared at DSI headquarters Friday to hear formal charges lodged against them.

In another development, lawyers for the Shinawatra family planned to file a defamation lawsuit against the DSI chief who had earlier accused Mr. Thaksin and his wife of involvement in the SC Asset scandal.

- MCOT

[lazeeboy]

In baseball, it's called the "on deck circle".... where the next scheduled batter warms up...

Thaksin warrants planned in SC Asset case

BANGKOK - The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) plans to obtain arrest warrants for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his spouse, Pojaman, over the SC Asset Corp stock concealment charges next week, DSI chief Sunai Manomai-udom announced Friday.

The DSI will ask the court sometime next week to issue arrest warrants for the deposed prime minister, who has remained in England following last year's military coup, as well as his spouse, in order to force them to stand trial for the SC Asset scandal.

The deposed prime minister had been scheduled for Friday (August 17) to hear formal charges involving their SC Asset Corp stock holdings from the DSI. However, the couple failed to show up and, for that reason, arrest warrants would be sought from the court so that the Office of the Attorney General will take steps to have them return to Thailand by extradition.

The speculated arrest warrants would be a second for Mr. Thaksin and his spouse, following earlier warrants issued to bring them to court over a separate lawsuit involving the Ratchadphisek land deal.

The DSI chief declined to comment whether or not the British authorities will agree to have the Thai former prime minister returned home on criminal extradition grounds, saying the legal matter would likely be decided upon by British court.

Mr. Sunai said such lawsuits are valid for 10 years and should not be considered political.

Two others accused in the SC Asset scandal and related to Pojaman, namely Phensom Damapong and Bussaba Damapong, appeared at DSI headquarters Friday to hear formal charges lodged against them.

In another development, lawyers for the Shinawatra family planned to file a defamation lawsuit against the DSI chief who had earlier accused Mr. Thaksin and his wife of involvement in the SC Asset scandal.

- MCOT

1 arrest warrent is enough,why issue more it just keeps him in the news

[brahmburgers]

Even the junta gov't has to realize that they won't force Taksin et al to return. They should also realize that having Thaksin incarcerated here (house arrest or papmpered jail) will make him a martyr - and rallying symbol.

These myriad legal maneuvers are designed to keep Mr. T at bay. They want him as far away as possible. The gov't has some of his money, and that's the most important component of this whole imbroglio.

There's no way Thaksin will be returning, except by his own choice - and that will only happen if his boys get back in power.

The gov't should sentence him in absentia, grab as much of his ill-gotten money as possible - and forget about this silly extradition stuff which will never stick.

[Shan]

What I don't understand is that some time ago Thaksin was told not to come back. He was not safe, the country would be in turmoil etc. He had to wait till after the next general elections. Now all of a sudden he must come back or face arrest. It does not make sense to me and it won't make sense to a British court either I guess!

[Tony Clifton]

What I don't understand is that some time ago Thaksin was told not to come back. He was not safe, the country would be in turmoil etc. He had to wait till after the next general elections. Now all of a sudden he must come back or face arrest. It does not make sense to me and it won't make sense to a British court either I guess!

What I don't understand is that some time ago Thaksin said he would come back. He felt safe, the country has seen very little turmoil etc. He will wait till after the next general elections. Now all of a sudden he won't come back or face justice. It does not make sense to me and it won't make sense to a British court either I guess!

Edited August 19, 2007 by Tony Clifton

[phosamton]

Anyone who can storm the government with 14 tanks shouldn't need or want an arrest warrant. What's the real truth?

After reading Associate Professor Giles Ji Ungpakorn's academic book titled "A Coup for the Rich" and Paul Handley's banned book The King Never Smiles, the real truth seemed a lot clearer to me.

Thai law forbids discussing the "real" real truth...but certain rhetoric that we hear, like Thailand needs its own "style" of democracy, that the constitiution should be approved now and worry about changes later, and that the rural poor are too stupid to understand democracy have been uttered by many an appointed leader over the years.

23% cut in health services (that helped the rural poor) and a simultaneous military budget increase of 30% when the new govt took control says a lot...and there's a general sitting on the board on every relevant agency in the country, and they collect phat salaries

Thaksin is a real MF and his worst crimes are the human rights abuses that happened under his watch, but this isn't about right or wrong, it's merely about power and control, and money of course. He's smart to stay away...ideally, when the country "returns" to "democracy" somehow he'll find his way to prison, but it seems rather doubtful.

best hope maybe is pressure from human rights organizations concerning the war on drugs, disappearance of Somchai and incidents like Tak Bai and Kru Se get put out in front of the money crimes?

[distortedlink]

I think they should crucify the nasty little man for being corrupt. What, corruption in Thailand?

Of course no one else in Thailand is corrupt, especially the politicians, all squeaky clean.

Now Thaksin is going to be blamed for the next 50 years for everything that goes wrong in Thailand.

Sad but true.

Edited August 19, 2007 by distortedlink

[sriracha john]

The family woes continue.... deservedly so....

Assets examiners plan legal actions against Thaksin family

Assets Scrutiny Committee planned to take legal action Wednesday against Pojaman and Panthongthae Shinawatra, wife and son of toppled prime minister Thaksin, respectively, for failing to testify before an ASC sub-committee involving the controversial sales of their Shin Corp shares last year.

ASC spokesman Sak Korsaengruang said the panel will lodge misconduct and negligence charges with Bang Sue police station against Mrs. Pojaman and Mr. Panthongthae as well as two others, namely Busaba Damaphong and Kanchanapha Honghern, after they had deliberately failed to testify before the sub-committee in charge of verifying asset acquisitions regarding the Shin Corp sales.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/tops...s.php?id=121031