AEC Freezes Thaksin's Assets, Proceeds From Shin Corp Sale

[Ricardo]

Thaksin goes into Swiss reverse

Ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra did not threaten to sue Swiss banks for freezing his accounts in Switzerland because he does not have any, his chief spokesman said on Thursday. Thaksin had been misquoted and his comments taken out of context by Swiss newspaper Mittelland Zeitung, said his lawyer and voluble spokesman, Noppadol Pattama. "What he meant was his bank accounts in Thailand, not in Switzerland. The newspaper must have misreported what he said," the lawyer told the news agency Reuters. The paper quoted Thaksin in extracts from an interview scheduled for publication on Sept. 16 that Swiss banks had frozen some of his money and that he would be suing them.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/tops...s.php?id=121416

As usual with Thaksin, it is the other party that is to blame, can't he even accept that he may have said something in an unclear or incorrect way, and caused the confusion himself ?

Why is this man incapable of accepting that, like all the rest of us, he is only human ?

[Tony Clifton]

Thaksin goes into Swiss reverse

Ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra did not threaten to sue Swiss banks for freezing his accounts in Switzerland because he does not have any, his chief spokesman said on Thursday. Thaksin had been misquoted and his comments taken out of context by Swiss newspaper Mittelland Zeitung, said his lawyer and voluble spokesman, Noppadol Pattama. "What he meant was his bank accounts in Thailand, not in Switzerland. The newspaper must have misreported what he said," the lawyer told the news agency Reuters. The paper quoted Thaksin in extracts from an interview scheduled for publication on Sept. 16 that Swiss banks had frozen some of his money and that he would be suing them.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/tops...s.php?id=121416

As usual with Thaksin, it is the other party that is to blame, can't he even accept that he may have said something in an unclear or incorrect way, and caused the confusion himself ?

Why is this man incapable of accepting that, like all the rest of us, he is only human ?

We know that.

In his Chinese Emperor's mind, he has the power to mediate between heaven and earth.

[blaze]

Thaksin goes into Swiss reverse

Ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra did not threaten to sue Swiss banks for freezing his accounts in Switzerland because he does not have any, his chief spokesman said on Thursday. Thaksin had been misquoted and his comments taken out of context by Swiss newspaper Mittelland Zeitung, said his lawyer and voluble spokesman, Noppadol Pattama. "What he meant was his bank accounts in Thailand, not in Switzerland. The newspaper must have misreported what he said," the lawyer told the news agency Reuters. The paper quoted Thaksin in extracts from an interview scheduled for publication on Sept. 16 that Swiss banks had frozen some of his money and that he would be suing them.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/tops...s.php?id=121416

As usual with Thaksin, it is the other party that is to blame, can't he even accept that he may have said something in an unclear or incorrect way, and caused the confusion himself ?

Why is this man incapable of accepting that, like all the rest of us, he is only human ?

We know that.

In his Chinese Emperor's mind, he has the power to mediate between heaven and earth.

Something in the Nation yesterday implied that this entire story originated on the Democrat party website. The Nation report suggested that the Democrats had 'mistranslated' the info they had received- where ever that supposedly originated.

The quote I refer to:

"AEC secretary Kaewsan Atibodhi ....said it had not been confirmed whether the Democrat Party website reported that the news was mistranslated. "

link: http://nationmultimedia.com/search/page.ne...amp;id=30048096

Has anyone heard any thing about the origins of this story. Understandably the papers don't want to make a big thing out of the fact that their idea of serious journalistic investigation and fact checking consists of spreading rumors originating on a party website.

Edited September 8, 2007 by blaze

[Brew]

I have looked it up in the archive of Mittelland Zeitung:

Thaksin's lawyer is right.

Thaksin was talking about his frozen assets in Thailand and threatened to sue in Thailand.

After that, the reporter asked what T. is thinking about Swiss Banks.

...

Die thailändische Regierung hat Ihr ganzes Barvermögen eingefroren.

Thaksin: Ich werde sämtliche nur erdenklichen Massnahmen treffen, damit ich wieder an mein gesperrtes Privatvermögen komme. Es ist mir ohne jegliche rechtliche Grundlage vorenthalten worden.

Wie beurteilen Sie diese Massnahme?

Thaksin: Der Prozess ist klar politisch motiviert.

Was unternehmen Sie gegen diese Banken?

Thaksin: Ich verklage sie. Ich wiederhole ausdrücklich: Mein Geld ist sauber!

Was halten Sie von den Schweizer Banken?

Thaksin: Man kann und darf nicht alle in einen Topf werfen. Doch das gute alte Schweizer Bankgeheimnis gibt es nicht mehr › die absolute Diskretion gehört der Vergangenheit an. Sobald man viel Geld in die Schweiz transferieren will, wird man sofort hinterfragt. Selbst wenn das Geld, wie vom Gesetz vorgeschrieben, für sauber befunden wurde.

Apropos Schweiz, kennen Sie auch Regierungsmitglieder in der Schweiz?

Thaksin: (überlegt lange).

Vielleicht Christoph Blocher?

...

Thaksin: Christoph wer?

Source: Mittelland Zeitung

[chinthee]

The Thai government froze your whole cash asset. Thaksin: I will meet all only erdenklichen measures, so that I come again to my closed private possession. It was withheld from me without any legal basis. How do you judge this measure? Thaksin: The process is clearly politically motivated. What do you undertake against these banks? Thaksin: I sue it. I repeat expressly: My money is clean! What do you hold from Swiss banks? Thaksin: One can throw and may not all into a pot. But good old Swiss the banking secrecy does not give it any longer > the absolute Diskretion belongs to the past. As soon as one wants to transfer much money into Switzerland, one is analyzed immediately. Even if the money, like by the law, were prescribed found for clean. Apropos, you also cabinet members in Switzerland know Switzerland? Thaksin: (considered are enough). Perhaps Christoph Blocher?

* I know, online translation engine...

[Plus]

There was translation in today's BP, close to Chinthee's.

The story originally appeared in Reuters and AP, not in Thailand.

[cclub75]

I have looked it up in the archive of Mittelland Zeitung:

Thaksin's lawyer is right.

Thaksin was talking about his frozen assets in Thailand and threatened to sue in Thailand.

After that, the reporter asked what T. is thinking about Swiss Banks.

Well okay for the sue part. It was bullshit. And he didn't say that his accounts in Switzerland have been frozen.

However, the most important point (i still believe) was the judgement he made about swiss banks !

“Good old bank secrecy is no more. Absolute discretion is a thing of the past"

Again, it shows what kind of man he is.

Edited September 8, 2007 by cclub75

[Plus]

Indeed it does.

He talks about absolute discretion as a matter of fact, as if he is some kind of banana republic dictator hiding his stolen money.

Hold on... he IS a banana republic dictator.

Absolutely unbecoming any self respecting country's Prime Minister.

[sriracha john]

Inside story about Thaksin's woes in Zurich

Does Thaksin Shinawatra have deposit accounts in Swiss banks? That has become a juicy topic around town

The hullabaloo was actually stirred up out of the blue after Thaksin himself protested, via the Swiss newspaper Mittelland Zeitung, that his accounts at various Swiss banks had been frozen.

"My money is clean," he claimed.

One day later, his lawyer-cum-spokesman in Bangkok claimed that it was an error on the part of the media. His boss never had any Swiss bank accounts. Thaksin's public-relations man in London also issued a statement to confirm the same thing.

But it was odd that Thaksin should talk to the Swiss press and complain about Swiss bankers and their failure to keep their clients' business in strict confidence like in the old days when tyrants and crooked politicians kept numbered accounts in Swiss banks.

That tradition was broken after the Philippines' Committee for Good Government sought a Swiss court order for banks there to open their vaults so that the country could reclaim what had been stolen by a dictator and his family during their long years in power.

But the Thaksin case was odd. Thai authorities, including the Assets Examination Committee, were unaware that Swiss banks had taken such an action. Swiss authorities, including the embassy in Bangkok, denied any knowledge of the issue.

One thing raised suspicions. Why did Thaksin go to the Swiss newspaper in the first place? It was unlikely that anybody misunderstood the talk. The interview took place in Switzerland, presumably Zurich. If the man in exile was there, it certainly wasn't because he wanted to get an expensive watch fixed.

The hasty denial of the existence of the Swiss bank accounts had to be made because Thai authorities began to suspect that something was quite fishy and did not sound right. If a request for a subpoena is sought from the Swiss Court to seek Thaksin's financial records and bank accounts, there could be some uneasy times in Zurich.

Well, the fact is that Thaksin does have Swiss bank accounts. As an extremely wealthy man, he has maintained accounts at several banks over the years, with all deposits carried out by his financial representatives in private banking.

Now that he has to do it all alone, unpleasant incidents occasionally arise, as was the case with his hard-luck story about having the US equivalent of 1.6 million baht stolen by a thief at a McDonald's outlet in Moscow earlier this year.

According to an insider familiar with the incident, the uproar and Thaksin's testiness over the Swiss banking incident was due to his lack of first-hand experience. After opening his numbered some years back, Thaksin only made deposits into them. He never had any need to make a withdrawal.

The story goes like this. Thaksin showed up at a Swiss bank, identified himself and sought to make a withdrawal.

The gnomes of Zurich would not have been familiar with him or with this manner of making a withdrawal. Usually, clients show up with numbers to make withdrawals. For fund transfers, there are codes that are changed at different intervals, and the transaction can only be completed once the numbers are verified.

When Thaksin showed up, his name and presence would have had no effect on the officer in charge, because he does not walk in and out every other day. The numbers count, of course. Certainly he did not need cash urgently for some luxury shopping. Upset by not being able to complete the transaction, it was natural for Thaksin to blow his top and complain to the Swiss media, blaming the banks, rather than his unfamiliarity with transaction procedures.

Because of his tantrum, the formerly secret existence of his Swiss bank accounts became known publicly, necessitating swift denials from his spokesmen here and in England.

If Thaksin had no Swiss bank accounts, why in the world was he there and talking negatively about Swiss banking? The lame clarification offered, that the Swiss press had misunderstood and that Thaksin was referring to the freezing of his assets in Bangkok, would have only impressed his naive admirers.

Now that the matter is no longer a secret, it depends on Thai authorities to decide what they intend to do to find out how much wealth Thaksin has stashed, especially via cash deposits in Swiss banks, and how he got that money. When the extent of his wealth is truly uncovered the number could be staggering and shocking.

By the time Thai authorities can get their act together, it would be too late. Funds could be moved in just minutes, if not seconds, through wire transfers. An expert in money-laundering disclosed years ago that it took him just 11 seconds to move large funds to a network of accounts, while it would take authorities 11 months to trace the funds, if the authorities could locate them at all.

The time required now could be much less. Thai authorities need to seek expert advice instead of fumbling around in a half-hearted manner as Cabinet members wait for the day they can leave and spend their twilight years in serenity, though without any claims to fame during their tenure.

So much for the lost opportunity for national restructuring following the coup. Especially dreadful is the scenario that some of the funds from Zurich could be spent to help Thaksin's cronies and political nominees regain power in government and wreak more havoc on this land.

- Sopon Onkgara, Sidelines, The Nation

[LaoPo]

Inside story about Thaksin's woes in Zurich

Does Thaksin Shinawatra have deposit accounts in Swiss banks? That has become a juicy topic around town

The hullabaloo was actually stirred up out of the blue after Thaksin himself protested, via the Swiss newspaper Mittelland Zeitung, that his accounts at various Swiss banks had been frozen.

"My money is clean," he claimed.

One day later, his lawyer-cum-spokesman in Bangkok claimed that it was an error on the part of the media. His boss never had any Swiss bank accounts. Thaksin's public-relations man in London also issued a statement to confirm the same thing.

But it was odd that Thaksin should talk to the Swiss press and complain about Swiss bankers and their failure to keep their clients' business in strict confidence like in the old days when tyrants and crooked politicians kept numbered accounts in Swiss banks.

That tradition was broken after the Philippines' Committee for Good Government sought a Swiss court order for banks there to open their vaults so that the country could reclaim what had been stolen by a dictator and his family during their long years in power.

But the Thaksin case was odd. Thai authorities, including the Assets Examination Committee, were unaware that Swiss banks had taken such an action. Swiss authorities, including the embassy in Bangkok, denied any knowledge of the issue.

One thing raised suspicions. Why did Thaksin go to the Swiss newspaper in the first place? It was unlikely that anybody misunderstood the talk. The interview took place in Switzerland, presumably Zurich. If the man in exile was there, it certainly wasn't because he wanted to get an expensive watch fixed.

The hasty denial of the existence of the Swiss bank accounts had to be made because Thai authorities began to suspect that something was quite fishy and did not sound right. If a request for a subpoena is sought from the Swiss Court to seek Thaksin's financial records and bank accounts, there could be some uneasy times in Zurich.

Well, the fact is that Thaksin does have Swiss bank accounts. As an extremely wealthy man, he has maintained accounts at several banks over the years, with all deposits carried out by his financial representatives in private banking.

Now that he has to do it all alone, unpleasant incidents occasionally arise, as was the case with his hard-luck story about having the US equivalent of 1.6 million baht stolen by a thief at a McDonald's outlet in Moscow earlier this year.

According to an insider familiar with the incident, the uproar and Thaksin's testiness over the Swiss banking incident was due to his lack of first-hand experience. After opening his numbered some years back, Thaksin only made deposits into them. He never had any need to make a withdrawal.

The story goes like this. Thaksin showed up at a Swiss bank, identified himself and sought to make a withdrawal.

The gnomes of Zurich would not have been familiar with him or with this manner of making a withdrawal. Usually, clients show up with numbers to make withdrawals. For fund transfers, there are codes that are changed at different intervals, and the transaction can only be completed once the numbers are verified.

When Thaksin showed up, his name and presence would have had no effect on the officer in charge, because he does not walk in and out every other day. The numbers count, of course. Certainly he did not need cash urgently for some luxury shopping. Upset by not being able to complete the transaction, it was natural for Thaksin to blow his top and complain to the Swiss media, blaming the banks, rather than his unfamiliarity with transaction procedures.

Because of his tantrum, the formerly secret existence of his Swiss bank accounts became known publicly, necessitating swift denials from his spokesmen here and in England.

If Thaksin had no Swiss bank accounts, why in the world was he there and talking negatively about Swiss banking? The lame clarification offered, that the Swiss press had misunderstood and that Thaksin was referring to the freezing of his assets in Bangkok, would have only impressed his naive admirers.

Now that the matter is no longer a secret, it depends on Thai authorities to decide what they intend to do to find out how much wealth Thaksin has stashed, especially via cash deposits in Swiss banks, and how he got that money. When the extent of his wealth is truly uncovered the number could be staggering and shocking.

By the time Thai authorities can get their act together, it would be too late. Funds could be moved in just minutes, if not seconds, through wire transfers. An expert in money-laundering disclosed years ago that it took him just 11 seconds to move large funds to a network of accounts, while it would take authorities 11 months to trace the funds, if the authorities could locate them at all.

The time required now could be much less. Thai authorities need to seek expert advice instead of fumbling around in a half-hearted manner as Cabinet members wait for the day they can leave and spend their twilight years in serenity, though without any claims to fame during their tenure.

So much for the lost opportunity for national restructuring following the coup. Especially dreadful is the scenario that some of the funds from Zurich could be spent to help Thaksin's cronies and political nominees regain power in government and wreak more havoc on this land.

- Sopon Onkgara, Sidelines, The Nation

Bad journalism, very bad.

If the journalist in question, Sopon Onkgara, would have done his homework he could have found out that the interview was held in Thaksin's house in London.. NOT in Switzerland.

"© Aargauer Zeitung / MLZ; 05.09.2007; Seite 2" (one of the newspapers belonging to the Mittelland Zeitung group):

"Entspannt empfängt Thaksin Shinawatra, 58, die Gäste in seiner luxuriösen Siebenzimmerwohnung im exquisiten Londoner Stadtviertel Park Lane › direkt gegenüber dem Hyde Park und dem legendären 5-Sterne-Hotel Dorchester."

Translated:

"Relaxed, Thaksin Shinawatra, 58, receives his guests (not guest) in his luxurious 7-room house in the exquisite London Park Lane district, right opposite the Hyde Park en legendary 5* Dorchester Hotel"

It took me 1 minute to find said interview in the archives of Mittelland Zeitung; it's for free but interviews older than 7 days...you have to pay for; not TIT but TIS -This is Switzerland :

http://www.az-online.ch/externdata/azarchiv/az_archiv.html

Further down in the interview the journalist of the Aargauer Zeiting is asking what he's thinking of Swiss Banks.

You know the answer: "«Das gute alte Bankgeheimnis der Schweiz gibt es nicht mehr»" and was made a HEADLINE by the journalist of the Aargauer Zeitung. After all this newspaper is read by German Swiss people....

Translated: "The good old Bank secrecy of the Swiss doesn't exist anymore".

Earlier however, he (T) said that he would fight the freeze of his assets in Thailand, and he was not talking about Switzerland. Only AFTER he said that, the journalist asked what he thinks of Swiss Banks.

The whole article is Bull of the worst kind as the journalist is 'assuming' everything. Not writing facts.

The only 'fact' he's writing about is that he knows that Thaksin has bank accounts in Switzerland. HOW does he know that and IF he knows why didn't he report the names of Banks and the account numbers ?

ps: I am just replying to the content of the article itself, not discussing the role of Thaksin himself or whether he has or not, money in Switzerland.

I'm just an observer, nothing more nothing less

LaoPo

Edited September 9, 2007 by LaoPo

[sriracha john]

Thaksin has no hidden assets abroad

A legal adviser to deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra Sunday urged the government not to waste the tax payers' money by trying to extradite him, or freeze his assets abroad.

Noppadon Pattama insisted Thaksin did not have any assets hidden abroad, and his only overseas asset was the Manchester City Football Club.

- The Nation

============================================================================

He doesn't consider the 400 million baht home he bought in the UK an asset?

[John K]

I wonder if Noppadon would risk to say the same under oath in court and risk getting disbarred.

[Jai Dee]

AEC to announce transactions made by Mr Thaksin

A subcommittee under the Assets Examination Committee (AEC) in charge of scrutinizing assets of the deposed prime minister will call a press conference today (September, 10th) to announce details of transactions which took place when Mr Thaksin was still in office. Sources revealed that the subcommittee had found that the ex-PM had hidden shares and used personal and corporate nominees to do business and other financial matters for him.

Sources also said that nominees of ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra and wife Khunying Potjaman Shinawatra have transferred a large sum of their money to foreign countries after the September 19th coup. Some of the money estimated at several billions of baht were used to buy the Manchester City Football Club in England.

The subcommittee, chaired by Klanarong Chantik (กล้านรงค์ จันทิก), will also explain the relationship between Mr Thaksin and the Shinawatra Family’s companies, including Ample Rich, Winmark, and Shin Corp.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 10 September 2007

[John K]

I guess the next news clipping on this will be Thaksin will sue for something on this. Perhaps for exposing secret public information.

[Plus]

Why would a Swiss newspaper go to London to interview former Thai prime minister? Where there's smoke, there's fire, they must have some reason, and Sophon's version is comelling enough. After the bank incindent Thaksin have probably rushed back on the first flight, the journos pickep up on the commotion and decided to hear his side.

I think it's plausible.

[LaoPo]

Why would a Swiss newspaper go to London to interview former Thai prime minister? Where there's smoke, there's fire, they must have some reason, and Sophon's version is comelling enough. After the bank incindent Thaksin have probably rushed back on the first flight, the journos pickep up on the commotion and decided to hear his side.

I think it's plausible.

Many newspapers around the world use stories from -independent or not- correspondents, living abroad, working for several different home-country newspapers/magazines and TV/Radio networks.

Not that strange or plausible.

You're just assuming...

LaoPo

[sriracha john]

more assets, more freezing....

Mr Sak said the Assets Scrutiny Committee also resolved during the meeting to freeze Thaksin's son Panthongthae's four pieces of land in Pakchong District, Nakhon Ratchasima province. The committee found out that he used the money earned from Shin Corp shares sales to buy those pieces of land.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/tops...s.php?id=121504

[sriracha john]

a value on Oak's frozen property has now been published...

The ASC yesterday also ordered a freeze on four blocks of land worth over 27 million baht owned by Thaksin's son, Panthongtae, in Pak Chong district, Nakhon Ratchasima. The ASC found that the money used to buy the land came from the sale of Shin Corp shares to Temasek

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/11Sep2007_news02.php

[Plus]

Many newspapers around the world use stories from -independent or not- correspondents, living abroad, working for several different home-country newspapers/magazines and TV/Radio networks.

Not that strange or plausible.

You're just assuming...

LaoPo

Have they got nothing else to publish?

Independent non-correspondent interviewing Thaksin in London - what has it got to do with Switzerland?

Thaksin blowing fuse in a Swiss bank would be a good reason.

PS. Perhaps he got caught in his own nominee web - they never dealt with him and didn't know him personally.

Edited September 11, 2007 by Plus

[hammered]

Many newspapers around the world use stories from -independent or not- correspondents, living abroad, working for several different home-country newspapers/magazines and TV/Radio networks.

Not that strange or plausible.

You're just assuming...

LaoPo

Have they got nothing else to publish?

Independent non-correspondent interviewing Thaksin in London - what has it got to do with Switzerland?

Thaksin blowing fuse in a Swiss bank would be a good reason.

PS. Perhaps he got caught in his own nominee web - they never dealt with him and didn't know him personally.

I think the story is already out that he didnt know how to access his numbered account and got a tad upset thereby creating a news story from left field that damaged him before his advisers told him to downplay what was his own lack of knowledge of a system he had not preiously had to access.

More interestingly the question now occurs why was he all of a sudden and probably for the first time accessing his bolt-hole accounts?

[sriracha john]

cash flow difficulties?

the manchester city thread has him reduced to riding commuter trains......

[hammered]

cash flow difficulties?

the manchester city thread has him reduced to riding commuter trains......

Dont rule out the election. It will cost billions of baht to buy a victory, and for Mr. Thaksin this means release from all his legal woes. It may even be beyond deep pockets. If the third force can find a resepected leader and a bunch of funding (military?) the 30 million transfer fee may well need a contract renegotiation to ensure no further jumping ship. Has the transfer fee even been paid yet? Quite unlikely consdiering the 30 day limit on party hopping. I am told by my ex-TRT friends that they know who they have at the moment but are wary that some or many may be prised away by deadline day. It all costs money.

Chaing Noi did an intereting piece on this buying an election stuff.

[LaoPo]

Many newspapers around the world use stories from -independent or not- correspondents, living abroad, working for several different home-country newspapers/magazines and TV/Radio networks.

Not that strange or plausible.

You're just assuming...

LaoPo

Have they got nothing else to publish?

Independent non-correspondent interviewing Thaksin in London - what has it got to do with Switzerland?

Thaksin blowing fuse in a Swiss bank would be a good reason.

PS. Perhaps he got caught in his own nominee web - they never dealt with him and didn't know him personally.

I hope you understand that I can't answer your questions.

The correspondent(s)* who published the article is most likely of German Swiss Origin, after I read the interview in German.

And, of course, since it is a German language Swiss newspaper the headline was quite juicy for their readers just to attract the attention of the same; a headline suitable for a UK tabloid

* there was more than 1 person, during the interview in T's house in London.

Interesting foot note from the article: (I didn't read that before)

"Das Interview aus der Nullnummer des «Sonntag»

In anderthalb Wochen ist es so weit: Ab dem 16. September erscheint diese Zeitung (Aargauer Zeitung-newspaper-) siebenmal in der Woche. Die Sonntagsausgabe heisst «Sonntag». Am letzten Wochenende hat die Redaktion eine Nullnummer produziert (die nicht öffentlich verteilt wird). Das Thaksin-Interview stammt aus dieser Nullnummer."

Translated:

"The Interview from the Zero-number of the "Sonntag"/(Sunday).

In one-and-a-half week we will be there: As from the 16th September this newspaper (Aargauer Zeitung-newspaper*) will be published seven times a week. The Sonntag/(Sunday) edition is called <Sonntag>. Last weekend the Editorial Staff has produced a Zero-Number edition (which is not publically distributed). The Thaksin-Interview is from that Zero-Number."

Further Foot Note in the same article:

Philippe Huber (40) a Swiss national from Luzern/Switzerland, living in London, is a Sports Agent/Broker since 15 years, who helped Thaksin with the buyout of Manchester City.

His company, Kentaro Group**, has about 60 employees and a turnover of 150 Million Swiss Francs (GBP 62 Million or around 92 Million Euro or around 126 Million US $). His company owns TV- and marketing rights for the National teams of Sweden, Norway and Ireland.

For the Brasilian Football team, Kentaro organizes worlwide test matches, and in cooperation with a company called: Renova*** (owned by Russian Billionair Viktor Vekselberg****) also for the Argentine Football Team.

Philippe Huber lives in London's 'exquisite' area Knightbridge, right across Hyde Park and Harrods.

(translated from German)

* The Aaurgauer Zeitung-newspaper belongs to a group of about 7 or 8 local Swiss newspapers with a total circulation of about 200,000 pcs.

** http://www.kentarogroup.com/index.php?pageid=1

*** http://www.renova.ru/eng/greetings/

**** http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/10/CGPE.html

***** http://www.semplc.com/

OK, I go on, digging further:

Footnote #3

There's another very interesting chap playing an important role in all this -related to Thaksin's takeover of Machester City- :

Jerome Anderson "trained in banking" and: chairman and chief executive of the Sport Entertainment and Media Group Limited (SEM)*****

"In Thaksin Shinawatra's revolution, which has launched Manchester City to the euphoric, unforeseen position at the top of the Premier League, the agent Jerome Anderson has been a central figure."

and:

"Huber's company, Kentaro, which has an office in Chelsea Harbour, holds the TV rights for matches played by Thailand's international team, and Huber is a close friend of the Thai FA's president, Worawi Makudi, an influential figure in world football and Fifa executive committee member. Through Makudi, Huber came to know Thaksin while he was prime minister, and Huber advised in 2004 when Thaksin tried to buy Liverpool on behalf of the Thai government, a proposal which fell through."

From:

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2007/08/...man_behind.html

All this info is for free...but I should be bl__dy paid for this

LaoPo

[Plus]

Jeez, Laopo, that's a lot of footwork.

Maybe you can sell it to the Nation.

At the end of the day it's still a lot of smoke. Possible Swiss accounts were not on AEC mind until Thaksin went public about it. What was he trying to achieve? The purpose of hidden assets is to be hidden, you don't just go shoot your mouth off to a newspaper.

Is Sophon's version close to what actually happened? For the lack of alternative ideas it's ok. What does it matter anyway?

It was just a hiccup, Thaksin still has access to his Swiss accounts. Now we know that they are there and that AEC has a new lead in hidden assets cases.

[A_Traveller]

Just to add some more data to this, if I recall correctly originally the Man City deal was from a syndicate headed by Thaksin, then it seemed to morph into just Thakisn {and family} with Keith Harris of Seymour Pierce Investment Bank [Link] advising, and thence to the stage where the club was de-listed {as a plc with all that unpleasant accountability} and has now become a private entity owned by UK Sports Investments [Company No. 06264894] {said to be owned by the children} and I think another company UK Sports Investment (Holdings) [Company No. 06283022] both registered at 17 Bentinck Street, London an address which holds the offices of a number of solicitors.

Regards

UK Sports Investments

[Company No. 06264894]

Status: Active

Date of Incorporation: 31/05/2007

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Company Type: Private Limited Company

Nature of Business (SIC(03)):

None Supplied

Accounting Reference Date: 05/04

Last Accounts Made Up To: (NO ACCOUNTS FILED)

Next Accounts Due: 05/02/2009

Last Return Made Up To:

Next Return Due: 28/06/2008

UK Sports Investment (Holdings)

[Company No. 06283022]

Status: Active

Date of Incorporation: 18/06/2007

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Company Type: Private Limited Company

Nature of Business (SIC(03)):

None Supplied

Accounting Reference Date: 05/04

Last Accounts Made Up To: (NO ACCOUNTS FILED)

Next Accounts Due: 05/02/2009

Last Return Made Up To:

Next Return Due: 16/07/2008

Edited September 11, 2007 by A_Traveller

[Hampstead]

Just to add some more data to this, if I recall correctly originally the Man City deal was from a syndicate headed by Thaksin, then it seemed to morph into just Thakisn {and family} with Keith Harris of Seymour Pierce Investment Bank [Link] advising, and thence to the stage where the club was de-listed {as a plc with all that unpleasant accountability} and has now become a private entity owned by UK Sports Investments [Company No. 06264894] {said to be owned by the children} and I think another company UK Sports Investment (Holdings) [Company No. 06283022] both registered at 17 Bentinck Street, London an address which holds the offices of a number of solicitors.

Regards

UK Sports Investments

[Company No. 06264894]

Status: Active

Date of Incorporation: 31/05/2007

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Company Type: Private Limited Company

Nature of Business (SIC(03)):

None Supplied

Accounting Reference Date: 05/04

Last Accounts Made Up To: (NO ACCOUNTS FILED)

Next Accounts Due: 05/02/2009

Last Return Made Up To:

Next Return Due: 28/06/2008

UK Sports Investment (Holdings)

[Company No. 06283022]

Status: Active

Date of Incorporation: 18/06/2007

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Company Type: Private Limited Company

Nature of Business (SIC(03)):

None Supplied

Accounting Reference Date: 05/04

Last Accounts Made Up To: (NO ACCOUNTS FILED)

Next Accounts Due: 05/02/2009

Last Return Made Up To:

Next Return Due: 16/07/2008

&lt;deleted&gt;

your point?

thats the job of an investment bank to service a client, in this case Dr Taksin to acquire Man city football club, Keth Harris would be assigned the duty by the investment bank of making sure the deal is completed and keith harris also acts as an advisor for the Dr Taksin on all related matters concerning the football club and its future goals on and off the field

anyone can open corporations in this way to acquire an entity in the UK, it is all legal under the uk m&a laws

maybe intsead of wasting your time looking at web hosts addresses or using company house! you should learn that the the man city transaction in the eyes of the uk legal system is perfectly LEGAL

[Mid]

Win Mark comes back to haunt Thaksin

Graft officials have found interesting facts about company's role in Shin

Published on September 12, 2007

Early last year, right after his family sold its 49-per-cent stake in Shin Corp to Temasek Holdings of Singapore, Thaksin Shinawatra was feeling uneasy with the surfacing of renewed suspicions and charges that he still might be the beneficial owner of Win Mark Ltd.

snip

nationmultimedia.com

[hammered]

Win Mark comes back to haunt Thaksin

Graft officials have found interesting facts about company's role in Shin

Published on September 12, 2007

Early last year, right after his family sold its 49-per-cent stake in Shin Corp to Temasek Holdings of Singapore, Thaksin Shinawatra was feeling uneasy with the surfacing of renewed suspicions and charges that he still might be the beneficial owner of Win Mark Ltd.

snip

nationmultimedia.com

Wasnt Winmark the company that the "experts" thought would cause Thaksin by far the most problems if ever investigated? There are still rumours about one of his ex-associates telling investigators where to look for the evidence/ supplying evidence.

[A_Traveller]

<snip>

thats the job of an investment bank to service a client, in this case Dr Taksin to acquire Man city football club, Keth Harris would be assigned the duty by the investment bank of making sure the deal is completed and keith harris also acts as an advisor for the Dr Taksin on all related matters concerning the football club and its future goals on and off the field

anyone can open corporations in this way to acquire an entity in the UK, it is all legal under the uk m&a laws

maybe intsead of wasting your time looking at web hosts addresses or using company house! you should learn that the the man city transaction in the eyes of the uk legal system is perfectly LEGAL

What an interesting response from an 'Elite' holder, Dr. Thaksin too, now that's unusual, most would only use the term for a clinician, do you work for Baron Bell I wonder? Did I suggest in any way shape or form that the transaction was not legal {no need to shout}? By the by to be consistent it's Dr Harris, and he's the Chairman, oddly enough he's a great Man U fan I recall. I don't think you have much to teach, never mind, at least you have exorcised your splenetic nature.

Regards

[A_Traveller]

Wasnt Winmark the company that the "experts" thought would cause Thaksin by far the most problems if ever investigated? There are still rumours about one of his ex-associates telling investigators where to look for the evidence/ supplying evidence.

Very much so, the tales at the time suggested that there was a set of interlocked BVI companies {the option of choice in SE Asia I note}. The issue was how to reconcile UBS AG's actions and the variously sourced statements made relating to beneficial ownership. I did wonder if, in part, the odd 'Swiss' interview touched on a raw nerve. After all bank secrecy doesn't just mean account data, but includes transactional and custodial matters as well.

Regards

/edit typo//

Edited September 12, 2007 by A_Traveller