NLA questions ministry on Yingluck’s passports

By THE SUNDAY NATION

 

TWO REVOKED Thai passports of ex-premier Yingluck Shinawatra, one of which was a diplomatic passport, were found to have been issued in early 2015, almost a year after she left political office following the military coup, according to the National Legislative Assembly’s foreign affairs committee.

 

The committee on Wednesday asked questions of representatives from the Court of Justice, the Office of the Attorney-General, the Royal Thai Police, as well as the Foreign Ministry as they sought to understand how facing charges or being convicted of a crime would impact a former prime minister’s possession of passports and ability to leave the country.

 

According to committee vice chair Somchai Sawangkarn, the committee had noticed repeated cases of convicted people, or people charged with crimes, managing to flee the country, including Yingluck. They wished to learn why this was occurring and what can be done to prevent it and so had invited the concerned parties to discuss the matter with the committee and give an update on their work.

 

Somchai said the committee was told that in Yingluck’s case, the Foreign Ministry had been contacted by the police, which suggested that the former prime minister was ineligible to carry a passport after the courts had ruled against her.

 

In a letter to the Royal Thai Police, the Foreign Ministry said it had considered the issue, agreed with the point made by the police, and suggested that Yingluck’s passports should be revoked.

 

The Attorney-General and Court of Justice insiders also informed the ministry that the decision of the Supreme Court convicting Yingluck was final after she did not launch an appeal against the verdict convicting her over the rice-subsidy scheme. 

The ministry’s Consular Department then decided to revoke all of her passports after considering all opinions from concerned parties. It also circulated the notice to all Thai embassies worldwide, Somchai said.

 

However, it turned out that Yingluck had carried four passports in total, so the committee questioned how and why she had obtained them.

 

Somchai said a prime minister or ministers generally would be given a single diplomatic passport along with a general personal passport. 

 

But Yingluck somehow obtained two more passports, a personal passport and a diplomatic passport, both issued on the same day – February 4, 2015 – even though her original two documents had not expired, said Somchai. He said representatives from the Foreign Ministry told the committee that it is possible for an individual to obtain a second general personal passport if a case is made out of necessity, but it would be considered on a case-by-case basis by the ministry.

 

However, the ministry’s representatives were not able to clearly explain to the committee how someone could possess a second diplomatic passport. They are normally limited to one per person and not renewed until it expired, Somchai noted. “They just said, it’s a consideration upon ‘a special case’, and it’s ‘a policy matter’,” said Somchai.

 

Somchai said committee members did not think their question had been adequately answered and still did not understand the reasoning behind issuing two additional passports to Yingluck in the period after the coup. “This happened during the junta’s term, didn’t it? We were worried,” said Somchai.

 

Somchai said diplomatic passports carry special privileges for the holder, as most countries would allow easy entry and exit without a visa.

 

The committee has not yet decided what to do with what they learned at the meeting. So far, they have recommended that the parties concerned fix a gap in their processes that may have allowed a convicted person to flee the country. Perhaps moving processes online would allow easier tracking of people who have been charged with crimes or applied for duplicate passports.

 

Yingluck was accused by the National Anti-Corruption Comm-ission of dereliction of duty and malfeasance for failing to prevent corruption in her government’s rice pledging scheme. She was sentenced in absentia to jail for five years.

 

Yingluck fled the country two days before the first court ruling scheduled on August 25. Her four passports were revoked on October 25, according to deputy police chief Srivara Ransibrahmanakul. 

 

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Busadee Santipitaks said the ministry would investigate the matter before making any comments.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30331401

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-11-12

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

According to committee vice chair Somchai Sawangkarn, the committee had noticed repeated cases of convicted people, or people charged with crimes, managing to flee the country,

And just now you have noticed? where have you been for the last, like,

20 years or so when a string of convicted or about to be, have fled the country

in broad day light with the aid of army/police/government officials? really?

jut now you have noticed?....

Im sure there would be some officials who would have or be getting a collection of passports before anything that may happen and they need to depart Thailand in a hurry just so it doesen't look suspicious  should they need to leave .

3 hours ago, rooster59 said:

NLA questions ministry on Yingluck’s passports

Qn. - 'Why did you issue this woman extra passports?'

Ans. - 'Because she's rich and important and I might get some money.'

'Fair enough.'

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

So far, they have recommended that the parties concerned fix a gap in their processes that may have allowed a convicted person to flee the country.

Might I suggest that in this particular case "the gap" is a relevant official within the ministry who has the authority to issue regular and diplomatic passports and who colluded in Yingluck's  two and a half years plan to escape. Being the case that ministries are overseen with competent and knowledgeable military generals, it should be only a matter of minutes before the culprit is exposed... heck, just try one of them bomb detectors to sniff him out, maybe it'll work this time.

is this a great country or what?

 

A further question now, is ,is there anyone that has two or more passports.

In particular, does anyone currently have two diplomatic passports.

Are any, members of the military, government officials, or politicians.

I thought she was convicted AFTER she had done the runner, not before.

when you can pay for the personal issue of extra passports there is no problems, look at bank accounts of the people that issued them or at their recent purchases since they were issued, I am sure they will get their answer. This is Thailand, paying people a cash bonus can get you what ever you want whether its legal or not, problem is no one enforces the laws and investigates those involved so they get away with it.

17 hours ago, seajae said:

when you can pay for the personal issue of extra passports there is no problems, look at bank accounts of the people that issued them or at their recent purchases since they were issued, I am sure they will get their answer. This is Thailand, paying people a cash bonus can get you what ever you want whether its legal or not, problem is no one enforces the laws and investigates those involved so they get away with it.

 

Mrs. BB, a much wiser kind and forgiving soul than her grumpy spouse, says that giving people a "tip" when the do a nice, good job or perform a service for you, is expected and part of the good mannered culture! (I think she has her sights on another designer handbag for the collection!).

 

I'm sure the very very wealthy billionaire Ms Yingluck adheres to local customs and culture, whenever it suits!

 

If the Junta haven't realized that the civil service and ministry are riddled with bought Shin lackeys then they're dummer than we thought.

Money buys u anything But in Thailand it gets you everything you want Ex Pm knows this that is why she is always smiling Its called hedging your bets  She just hedged them with the right people I get more laughs at  things here and the way the authorities handle things  Better than going to the circus  "Roll up Roll up welcome to the Bangkok circus"