Thaksin acquitted in 7-year-old Krungthai loan case

[rooster59]

Thaksin acquitted in 7-year-old Krungthai loan case

By THE NATION

 

2012 file photo

 

The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Persons Holding Political Positions on August 30 acquitted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra of malfeasance over allegedly influencing the approval of a huge Krungthai Bank (KTB) loan to property giant Krisda Mahanakorn. The court also withdrew the arrest warrant for the 70-year-old fugitive.

 

The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Persons Holding Political Positions on August 30 acquitted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra of malfeasance over allegedly influencing the approval of a huge Krung Thai Bank (KTB) loan to property giant Krisda Mahanakorn. The court also withdrew the arrest warrant for the 70-year-old fugitive.

 

 

Thaksin was indicted in 2012 under Article 157 of the Criminal Court, as well as violating four offences under as many laws governing financial institutions. 

 

As for why Thaksin was acquitted, the court cited “an unaccredited allegation” as the reason, saying two unnamed individuals had vaguely been referred to, which became a groundless allusion referring to Thaksin and his then-wife Potjaman in a case filed by the National Counter Corruption Commission and the Office of the Attorney General. 

 

The term “big bosses” was reportedly cited at a meeting of high-ranking KTB officials when it was suggested that a sum of money would be given to the “big boss” in exchange for the approval of a Bt99-billion loan to Krisda Mahanakorn, which was already not qualified for being a high-risk borrower. 

 

This case saw the indictment and prosecution of 27 individuals, including Thaksin and Viroj Nualkhair, a former KTB managing director. Viroj briefly served his 18-year prison term before being released recently due to poor health and age.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30375631

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-08-31

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[MickeyMaow]

Does this mean he can return? 

[Thailand]

Convenient way of keeping opposition at bay for 7 years. I guess FFP members will be in line for similar treatment.

[PatOngo]

23 minutes ago, MickeyMaow said:

Does this mean he can return? 

He has never been blocked from returning.... he is in self imposed exile! Klong Prem doesn't suit his lifestyle!

[Thechook]

Well that was a wasted coup.  Anyway gave the Army something to do.

[robblok]

1 hour ago, MickeyMaow said:

Does this mean he can return? 

Sure he can return, there are far more cases against them with more evidence. So if he returns he will probably end up in jail. That is why his sister when in power wanted to grant him an amnesty (nepotism anyone)  was a big reason why so many people came to protest against the government. 

 

Nothing holding him back from returning.. except facing justice.

Edited August 30, 2019 by robblok

[Puchaiyank]

Oh boy, this could get very interesting if Thaksin decides to stir the political pot...????

[Eric Loh]

3 hours ago, rooster59 said:

for why Thaksin was acquitted, the court cited “an unaccredited allegation” as the reason, saying two unnamed individuals had vaguely been referred to, which became a groundless allusion referring to Thaksin

Unnamed individuals???? What a cop out. One of the unnamed individual join PPRP, excluded from the indictment and prosecution and now a cabinet minister. Shouldn’t he be charged or sued for giving false allegations. 

[Sticky Wicket]

3 hours ago, robblok said:

Sure he can return, there are far more cases against them with more evidence. So if he returns he will probably end up in jail. That is why his sister when in power wanted to grant him an amnesty (nepotism anyone)  was a big reason why so many people came to protest against the government. 

 

Nothing holding him back from returning.. except facing justice.

You mean death

[oldrunner]

Could not be any worse then the "non-oath taker" chamai?

[ezzra]

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Persons Holding Political Positions

that bit above i could never understand, a special court for special people, like saying you ordinary lot need not to be tried here, this is a VIP court... Amazing...

[Eric Loh]

3 hours ago, robblok said:

Sure he can return, there are far more cases against them with more evidence. So if he returns he will probably end up in jail. That is why his sister when in power wanted to grant him an amnesty (nepotism anyone)  was a big reason why so many people came to protest against the government. 

 

Nothing holding him back from returning.. except facing justice.

The amnesty applied to offences committed during the political turmoil after Thailand's 2006 coup. Nothing to do with corruption cases. 

[Tgcoll]

Well no magic can make this guy come back to Thailand, even it said come back we forgive you all ur sins, because the fear is he trust nobody and he don't want to end up in jail, I think one of the case is just been dropped, what about others

[Reigntax]

17 minutes ago, Tgcoll said:

Well no magic can make this guy come back to Thailand, even it said come back we forgive you all ur sins, because the fear is he trust nobody and he don't want to end up in jail, I think one of the case is just been dropped, what about others

No. They still have plenty of fabricated evidence, unnamed witnesses, unsupported claims to deal with for the next 40 years.

Ashame the military aren't subject to proper justice for if they did, the barracks would have to be locked from the outside.

[robblok]

1 hour ago, Eric Loh said:

The amnesty applied to offences committed during the political turmoil after Thailand's 2006 coup. Nothing to do with corruption cases. 

Dream on Eric, nice try to rewrite history.

[Burma Bill]

Will he have to complete a TM30 should he now decide to return!

[monkfish]

Mmm wonder if it could be related to this?
 

 

[billd766]

5 hours ago, robblok said:

Sure he can return, there are far more cases against them with more evidence. So if he returns he will probably end up in jail. That is why his sister when in power wanted to grant him an amnesty (nepotism anyone)  was a big reason why so many people came to protest against the government. 

 

Nothing holding him back from returning.. except facing justice.

Yet when the Army took over in a coup the first thing they did was to grant and amnesty for themselves for ALL past, present and future acts.

 

Quote from your post.

 

"Nothing holding him back from returning.. except facing justice."

 

But whose justice would that be from?

[Oziex1]

2 hours ago, ezzra said:

that bit above i could never understand, a special court for special people, like saying you ordinary lot need not to be tried here, this is a VIP court... Amazing...

The court has facilities to receive bigger brown envelopes. 

 

[robblok]

1 minute ago, billd766 said:

Yet when the Army took over in a coup the first thing they did was to grant and amnesty for themselves for ALL past, present and future acts.

 

Quote from your post.

 

"Nothing holding him back from returning.. except facing justice."

 

But whose justice would that be from?

I have commented on the amnesty from the army too.. its a disgrace too. So what is your point exactly ? 

 

Justice for the corruption he took part in. If you think he was innocent then I got a bridge to sell you.

 

The army is a disgrace too, i dislike them too but that does not mean that this corrupt guy should come of free. The more of these guys that go free the less chance there is for change. 

[tifino]

... hopefully the Law will keep on the case, and it eventually finds that Suthep was behind it all!

[Eric Loh]

1 hour ago, robblok said:

Dream on Eric, nice try to rewrite history.

That’s what Suthep want people like you to believe that the amnesty meant to whitewash corruption cases. Yingluck has explicitly stated “The Amnesty Bill was designed to absolve the victims of the power seizure and not to whitewash corruption”. 

[josephbloggs]

27 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

That’s what Suthep want people like you to believe that the amnesty meant to whitewash corruption cases. Yingluck has explicitly stated “The Amnesty Bill was designed to absolve the victims of the power seizure and not to whitewash corruption”. 

Ah yes, his sister said so.  

[FritsSikkink]

1 hour ago, billd766 said:

Yet when the Army took over in a coup the first thing they did was to grant and amnesty for themselves for ALL past, present and future acts.

 

Quote from your post.

 

"Nothing holding him back from returning.. except facing justice."

 

But whose justice would that be from?

Same justice who acquitted him in this case and found him guilty in other cases.

[donnacha]

All I know is that Thailand was a lot more positive under Thaksin, regular folks felt less stepped-on for a while. The handful of concessions he made to the poor were long overdue and it is to the eternal shame of the Bangkok middle-classes and the elites that the could not let them have even that. The spectacle of the wealthy holding "democracy" protests because they could not countenance anything being shared with the majority of voters was pathetic and oh-so-very Thai.

What they have now is brutal. Everyone knows their place again. Thais watch in quiet desperation as the economy is stabbed to death by a constant stream of bad decisions, made by men with no understanding of how economics, or tourism, or anything beyond the barracks wall actually works.

Never forget that all this nonsense with visas kicked into high gear after the coup. For all their faults, at least the Thaksins understood that having foreigners spend money in your country is a good thing, even if they are not five-star Chinese or Indian millionaires. As switched-on business people, they understood that the existing Western tourist trade and reputation as an easy-going destination, built up organically over half a century and deeply entrenched into local economies throughout the country, was something of value, something worth keeping, and something almost impossible to restore if you thoughtlessly trash it.

[Eric Loh]

50 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Same justice who acquitted him in this case and found him guilty in other cases.

Justice that can be influenced and dispensed by virtue of being the dominating power is a corrupted justice. No bigger example of a corrupt justice than the junta self granting amnesty. 

[ubon farang]

9 hours ago, MickeyMaow said:

Does this mean he can return? 

No They will find something else

[DrTuner]

So he's 70, just need to stall another ~10 years and problem solved, Thai style.

Edited August 31, 2019 by DrTuner

[Autonuaq]

11 hours ago, Thechook said:

Well that was a wasted coup.  Anyway gave the Army something to do.

Not so sure about that is was a wasted coup, since it seems that the same person is responcible for beening late of regestring the Thai educational systen as well other things to the internatonal comunity that make the many Thai certifoxated and diplomas are not regonized and becasue of this thai people are limited in working abroad like being sailor in a meecheantship of a european nation without redoing all the exams. Things that would not have hapoend if this person and his adminsitration did do that what was needed.

There are more cases they not acted in the intrest of the people of Thailand.

 

[billd766]

5 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Same justice who acquitted him in this case and found him guilty in other cases.

But that was a different coup and set of politicians entirely.

 

IMHO the courts of "Justice" do the bidding of their political masters at the time.

 

Back in 2001 when Thaksin was a newly minted PM he was found not guilty of concealing some of his assets even though the proof was as obvious as the nose on his face. A couple of years later one of the judges at the time admitted that he was guilty but was found not guilty as " He had just been elected as the PM".

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1471779.stm

 

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/18624-judge-lobbied-in-pms-assets-case/

 

https://thethaiger.com/news/phuket/Thaksin-cleared-financial-wrongdoing