Thaksin Shinawatra’s son Panthongtae pleads not guilty

[webfact]

Panthongtae pleads not guilty

By THE NATION

 

 

FORMER PM Thaksin Shinawatra’s son Panthongtae pleaded not guilty when he showed up in court yesterday to fight a money-laundering case related to a controversial Krungthai Bank loan.

 

In his testimony, Panthongtae told the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases that the Bt10-million cheque given to him by property group Krissada Mahanakorn was part of an investment in a joint business venture.

 

The cheque handed to Panthongtae was part of the Bt10.4-billion loan the company’s affiliates had dishonestly obtained from the state-run Krungthai Bank in 2003, when the defendant’s father Thaksin was serving as prime minister. The property firm’s affiliates had managed to secure the loans despite their poor credit rating. 

 

Most of the bank’s executives and senior members of the property group, including its boss Vichai Krissadathanont, were sentenced to prison in 2015. In September this year, the 79-year-old businessman and five others were indicted for alleged money laundering in connection with the loan.

 

Meanwhile, Panthongtae pleaded not guilty to the money-laundering charge yesterday and also asked for permission to submit his testimony in writing. The court accepted his request and set December 14 as the deadline for submission. 

 

The court has also scheduled four meetings with the prosecution and defence in January, February, March and April for both sides to crosscheck their witnesses and evidence. The court has also ordered both sides to meet on June 25 next year to discuss the scheduling of testimonies by their witnesses. 

 

The court will decide on January 22 whether the cases against Panthongtae, Vichai and others should be merged as requested by the public prosecutors. 

 

Panthongtae’s mother, Khunying Pojaman Na Pombejr, and his younger sisters Pinthongta Kunakornwong and Paethongtarn accompanied him to court yesterday for moral support.

 

Many politicians from Pheu Thai Party, who are close to the Shinawatras and loyal to Thaksin, were also present to back Panthongtae. They included the party’s leader, Wirote Pao-in, its secretary-general Phumtham Wechayachai, and former foreign minister Noppadon Patama.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30357956

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-11-06

[YetAnother]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Meanwhile, Panthongtae pleaded not guilty to the money-laundering charge yesterday

A guilty Shin pleading not guilty, not much change there

[tominbkk]

When's the next flight to Singapore?

[worgeordie]

It was an honest mistake......he got that one from his father,

it worked for him,so why not try it again.

regards worgeordie

[robblok]

1 hour ago, YetAnother said:

A guilty Shin pleading not guilty, not much change there

How much i dislike the Shins its not only guilty Shin's pleading innocent. Many criminals do.

 

In Thailand its the poor people who confess to halve their sentence. 

[seajae]

will we finally see a shin in jail, somehow I doubt it, he will likely flee like the rest of his guilty family when it gets too hot for him, they think they are above the law until it catches them out with their lies and graft

[guest879]

chances of this guy getting a fair trial I would say is fairly slim.

[pattjock]

" The court will decide on January 22 whether the cases against Panthongtae, Vichai and others should be merged as requested by the public prosecutors."

 

How can anything be done if the courts take this long to just get one step forward in the case???

[nahkit]

2 hours ago, guest879 said:

chances of this guy getting a fair trial I would say is fairly slim.

Absolutely, with his money, fathers' influence and backing of politicians there is no way that the trial will be fair.

[billd766]

What convenient timing for the government with an election coming up fairly soon (perhaps).

[happy chappie]

4 hours ago, tominbkk said:

When's the next flight to Singapore?

I think it'll be a back door job and the same route his auntie took.thatll fool the police and army for sure.

[mok199]

Taking one ''for the team''. ..thata boy !

Edited November 6, 2018 by mok199

[guest879]

16 hours ago, nahkit said:

Absolutely, with his money, fathers' influence and backing of politicians there is no way that the trial will be fair.

yes there is that as well. will be interesting who has more pull, money and expensive lawyers or the army. if I was going to make a bet I would probably back the army.  if they managed to convict yingluck then I am sure they can get this guy.

[zzaa09]

Run, Oak, run.......

[chainarong]

I certainy can' find anything wrong with these arrangements, if Thailand continues on this path its reputation cetainly will get tarnished, bring back the good old days.???? 

[Baerboxer]

On 11/6/2018 at 9:24 AM, guest879 said:

chances of this guy getting a fair trial I would say is fairly slim.

 

probably slightly more than a Shin telling the truth though!

[guest879]

9 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

probably slightly more than a Shin telling the truth though!

The justice system in Thailand seems more about punishing opponents than it has to do with punishing people for crimes committed.

[JingerBen]

23 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

probably slightly more than a Shin telling the truth though!

Good one!

You nailed it.

[billd766]

34 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

probably slightly more than a Shin telling the truth though!

Which is infinitely higher than anybody in the current government telling the truth.

[sniggie]

This current government is obsessed with this particular family.

[bangrak]

Like father and 'aunty', what did anyone expect? Such 'people' can simply do nothing wrong... The worst being the crime committed ending up in bloodshed and loss of life, this 'golden boy' is not suspected of, only of the more general, in the family's genes, financial 'abuses': didn't know about, did not notice, not even the usual 'honest mistake' here...

When this 'clan' would have remained among the Dems it left to start its own, political and other, mafia organisation, there would only have been 'the oldest' political party and a few other regional filthy political barons to villify, in order to wipe the slate clean, and start afresh.

The Shins and their pawns, a.o. their(!) violent, bloody, red militia, AND their RTP pretorian guard, have changed the whole scene, no doubt!

For the worse, IMO! As long as this clan is not eliminated, from politics and economy, they will go on with their aggressive, divisive, attempts to (re-)take control of the country, once a (pet) dog has acquired a taste for blood, it needs to be put down, sad, but the only solution...

[billd766]

2 hours ago, bangrak said:

Like father and 'aunty', what did anyone expect? Such 'people' can simply do nothing wrong... The worst being the crime committed ending up in bloodshed and loss of life, this 'golden boy' is not suspected of, only of the more general, in the family's genes, financial 'abuses': didn't know about, did not notice, not even the usual 'honest mistake' here...

When this 'clan' would have remained among the Dems it left to start its own, political and other, mafia organisation, there would only have been 'the oldest' political party and a few other regional filthy political barons to villify, in order to wipe the slate clean, and start afresh.

The Shins and their pawns, a.o. their(!) violent, bloody, red militia, AND their RTP pretorian guard, have changed the whole scene, no doubt!

For the worse, IMO! As long as this clan is not eliminated, from politics and economy, they will go on with their aggressive, divisive, attempts to (re-)take control of the country, once a (pet) dog has acquired a taste for blood, it needs to be put down, sad, but the only solution...

Would the same apply to Suthep and his mob who did similar things and how about the military who have had 12 successful coups?

 

It is easy to condemn just one side without condemning the other side for doing exactly the same thing. The problem with doing that is that you are biased against one side only.

[scorecard]

On 11/6/2018 at 12:47 PM, happy chappie said:

I think it'll be a back door job and the same route his auntie took.thatll fool the police and army for sure.

... fool the police...

 

If like last time there will be cops helping to plan the escape and cops driving the car.

 

[ratcatcher]

Good to see his mum and sister are there to support him in his hour of need.

[scorecard]

5 minutes ago, ratcatcher said:

Good to see his mum and sister are there to support him in his hour of need.

 

Well there are folks who consider his mum is the master of strategy for everything they have ever been involved in but also clever enough to ensure she kept a big personal separation from real activity. 

 

This could be borne out in that her secretary and her secretary's husband were fully involved in terms of using their names, their personal IDs, their bank accounts and now they are in the hot seat of prosecution same as sonny boy. (Could also perhaps be a case that they were used and were naive of the implications?)

 

But mummy kept her distance and is untouched (so far) by the law.

 

 

[Huayrat]

On 11/6/2018 at 7:54 AM, tominbkk said:

When's the next flight to Singapore?

Sadly it will befking London.. He will then be joining the other 2.. Shame on my country allowing these ppl in..

[billd766]

12 hours ago, Huayrat said:

Sadly it will befking London.. He will then be joining the other 2.. Shame on my country allowing these ppl in..

If the crimes that the Shinawatra clan have committed are so great surely the Thai police would have put out a Red Notice through Interpol, requesting the police in any country apprehend them and return them to Thailand to face justice for those crimes.

 

There is NO Red Notice at Interpol for them to be returned and some of the alleged crimes are political and no country will return persons for that.

[Vacuum]

On 11/6/2018 at 12:54 AM, tominbkk said:

When's the next flight to Singapore?

...or UK.

[Artisi]

On 11/6/2018 at 8:28 AM, robblok said:

How much i dislike the Shins its not only guilty Shin's pleading innocent. Many criminals do.

 

In Thailand its the poor people who confess to halve their sentence. 

No need for the high flyers to plead guilty, if it looks like going toe's up - simply depart the country with the blessing of those in power - 5 minutes embarrassment for the government but financially expedient long term. 

[bangrak]

17 hours ago, billd766 said:

Would the same apply to Suthep and his mob who did similar things and how about the military who have had 12 successful coups?

 

It is easy to condemn just one side without condemning the other side for doing exactly the same thing. The problem with doing that is that you are biased against one side only.

It is easy NOT to condemn the criminal acts of some individuals because other individuals having committed acts of a same kind have not been (yet?) condemned! (Ab-)using of such a false reasoning would be nobody should be condemned for some acts as long as everybody else having committed comparable acts prviously would not have been condemned for it...