Transport minister sets appeal for Hopewell case on September 20

[webfact]

Transport minister sets appeal for Hopewell case on September 20

By THE NATION

 

 

Transport Minister Saksyam Chidchob said he will submit an appeal over Hopewell case with the Central Administrative Court by September 20. 

 

Vowing to bring the Hopewell concession dispute case to an end, Transport Minister Saksyam Chidchob said on August 29 that he will submit an appeal with the Central Administrative Court by September 20. 

 

He said he will call on the court to consider some factual information related to the huge 1990 business deal between the ministry, the Hong Kong-based company and the State Railway of Thailand. 

 

He added that there was something “suspicious” about the Hopewell case, saying: “Something is not quite right with the contract, which only has eight pages even though it was a large project.” 

 

If the Central Administrative Court finds signs of corruption in the deal, a request will be made with the Criminal Court for a judiciary inquiry, he said. 

 

Citing a discussion with a committee he recently set up comprising legal experts from the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), the minister said: “There is still hope for a retrial. We must not neglect any changes, apart from compiling all the information in our appeal to the Central Administrative Court.” 

 

The minister added that the committee needs to obtain and get all information ready by September 11, before the OAG verifies and prepares the appeal document before September 20 to comply with legal deadlines. 

 

A payment of Bt11.888 billion (US$386,978,176) to Hopewell is due on October 19.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30375588

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-08-30

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

[Chang_paarp]

I was under the (misguided?) impression that the case had gone all the way to the Supreme Court, that being the highest court in Thailand and the final court of appeal. Now this new minister wants go down a path that must surely been looked at in the last 20 or so years. If there was a hint of corruption in a previous government decision, one of the multiple governments in the ensuing years would have raised it during the various levels of court cases if for no other reason than to embarrass their predecessor and avoid paying the inevitable compensation.

[Cadbury]

What's going on here? Something very, very dodgy it seems. 

Only a week ago the Supreme Court rejected the appeal by the Transport Ministry and the SRT and ordered them to pay up the 12 billion baht. 

This action by the Minister smells to high heaven who seemingly wants to manipulate the justice system to get the court ruling he wants. I would have imagined the Supreme Court is the highest in the land but alas envelopes have a way of reversing justice. 

BTW this new Minister is one of those who deserted his party to vote for Prayut to become Prime Minister. He received this ministry as his reward. He is now a puppet of Prayut and his government.

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/transport-ministry-and-srt-to-pay-hopewell-12-billion-baht-compensation/

[Bob12345]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

He added that there was something “suspicious” about the Hopewell case, saying: “Something is not quite right with the contract, which only has eight pages even though it was a large project.” 

Hope he has more up his sleeve, because this will not get him far in court.

[Cadbury]

The Supreme Court has made it's ruling.

Thailand shooting itself in the foot again when it comes to attracting foreign investment. 

They will try every dirty trick in the book to get out of paying this debt. 

[newatthis]

40 minutes ago, Bob12345 said:

Hope he has more up his sleeve, because this will not get him far in court.

He's been down to the stationery store.

[natway09]

Dear Sir,

You have wasted enough monies for SRT on this hopeless case.The SRT got greedy & wanted to add "air space " to the contract by variation long after signed.

Just pay it & restructure the SRT

 

[Reigntax]

Another bureaucrat flogging a dead horse!

[Srikcir]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

“There is still hope for a retrial. We must not neglect any changes, apart from compiling all the information in our appeal to the Central Administrative Court.” 

That's all well and thy will be done. But remember

11 hours ago, webfact said:

A payment of Bt11.888 billion (US$386,978,176) to Hopewell is due on October 19.

Does NOT include the accumulated interest at 7.5% per annum for 20 years (?). That means the interest alone will exceed the original claim amount.

Should Transport Minister Saksyam Chidchob fail in his prospective challenge to the claim delaying it beyond October 19 irrespective of the Supreme Court ruling that the plaintiff is entitled to payment, he should be discharged from the Ministry under negligent malfeasance and personally held responsible for any additional accumulated interest owed on the debt. That's called "accountability."