Thaksin And 30 Members Of His Cabinet Indicted

[sriracha john]

Supreme Court to examine evidence in 2-3 digit lottery case on Dec 24

The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Title Holders set December 24th to examine evidence and witnesses in the two- and three-digit lottery case.

The court's hearing will take place at 2 pm on Christmas Eve.

Defendants of the case which include the Cabinet of the Thaksin Government do not necessarily appear before a panel of judges during the hearing which will examine evidence submitted by both the prosecutors and the defendants.

The court said the defendants are allowed to inform the court of their arguments before noon on December 24th.

The Cabinet led by deposed PM Thaksin was alleged of unlawfully approving the distribution of the two- and three-digit lotteries.

- ThaiNews / 2008-12-22

[jdinasia]

Matk might be getting ANOTHER X-mas present!

[sriracha john]

Thaksin alleges that PAD's provincial leaders operate underground lotteries

Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra Sunday alleged that the Democrat-led government would not legalize two- and three-digit lottery because its provincial supporters operated underground lottery.

He said provincial leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy had been operating underground lottery so the current government did not want them to lose money by legalizing the popular two- and three-digit lottery.

The Thaksin government once legalized the two- and three-digit lottery and used the funds to provide scholarships and other charity purposes.

However, the Assets Examination Committee found that the Thaksin Cabinet violated the laws by approving the sale of the two- and three-digit lottery.

The subsequent administrations tried but failed to revive the legal sale of the two- and three-digit lottery.

- The Nation / 2009-01-25

[unforgiven]

Thaksin and his Cabinet indicted

AEC says move led to 38 Billion Baht loss in revenue to government

The Assets Examination Commission (AEC) yesterday indicted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and 46 others, including most of his Cabinet members for their joint decision to launch the controversial two- and three-digit lottery in 2003.

The 50-page AEC indictment, which will be made public on Monday, also demanded that all the 47 indicted people jointly pay Bt38 billion to the government - 22.9 billion baht for lost revenue due to tax exemption granted to the lottery for more than two years, and another 16 billion baht in lost revenue for the Government Lottery Office (GLO).

The 47 were accused of violating the 1974 Government Lottery Act for their role in initiating and approving the lottery without authorisation, of violating the 1948 Treasury Reserves Act, for unauthorised spending of money earned through sale of the lottery, and of violating three monetary laws for illegally acquiring tax exemption privileges.

The indictees are divided into three groups - Thaksin and his Cabinet members who attended the July 8, 2003 meeting and approved the lottery; members of the GLO's executive board; and members of a GLO panel that considered and approved for charity the proceeds earned through sale of lottery.

Among the 47 are 30 former Cabinet members, excluding former Education Minister Pongpol Adireksarn and former Deputy Interior Minister Pramual Rujanaseri, who were not indicted because they did not attend the meeting on the day.

The other groups include senior officials with related government agencies including the GLO, the Bureau of the Budget, and the Comptroller-General's Department, and two former Finance Ministry Permanent Secretaries.

Thaksin, former Finance Minister Suchart Chaowisit and former Deputy Finance Minister Warathep Ratta-nakorn have been accused for their decision to operate the lottery. They have been charged with receiving unlawful benefits for themselves, apart from seven other offences.

The GLO's board members and members of the panel have been charged with an additional offence under a special law.

The AEC charged that the 22 billion baht loss incurred through the tax exemption had denied revenue of 8.8 billion baht to the Finance Ministry, 12 billion baht to the Interior Ministry and 336 million baht to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

The indictment said the lottery had also resulted in "immeasurable" social disorder such as increased gambling among punters during the two-year operation, which drew 657 million baht from punters in the first drawing on August 1, 2003, and 2.8 billion baht in its last drawing on September 15 last year, four days before the military coup.

The Supreme Court's Criminal Tribunal for Political Office Holders and the Office of Attorney-General will jointly proceed further with the cases against the indictees.

- The Nation

god bless the thai judisiary,through the long and short of this convaluted mess they have maintained a dregree of integrity................

[Pierrot]

Thaksin alleges that PAD's provincial leaders operate underground lotteries

Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra Sunday alleged that the Democrat-led government would not legalize two- and three-digit lottery because its provincial supporters operated underground lottery.

He said provincial leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy had been operating underground lottery so the current government did not want them to lose money by legalizing the popular two- and three-digit lottery.

The Thaksin government once legalized the two- and three-digit lottery and used the funds to provide scholarships and other charity purposes.

However, the Assets Examination Committee found that the Thaksin Cabinet violated the laws by approving the sale of the two- and three-digit lottery.

The subsequent administrations tried but failed to revive the legal sale of the two- and three-digit lottery.

- The Nation / 2009-01-25

What is you point here ? Are you switching side ?

[animatic]

What they said they did with the funds and what they DID with the funds is not the same.

Most reports say this money went into a TRT slush fund for political purposes.

Since when are there provincial PAD leaders,

I though they were suposed to be all Bangkok elite?

The 2 3 digit lottery was an attempt to supplant dozens of illegal

and blatantly obvious on ANY street, local lotteries of astounding numbers.

They wanted the pie for their own political ends.

They could have pulled it off, but they ignored the LAWS to set it up.

and got caught. S.O.P for TRT it seems.

[sriracha john]

Court to Hear Lottery Case on March 31

A National Anti-Corruption Commission member said yesterday four witnesses will testify in the first Supreme Court hearing on the case of government lottery irregularities during the term of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. One of them is Assets Investigation Committee member Nam Yimyaem.

NACC member Sithichok Sricharoen has revealed the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions has scheduled the hearing on March 31st at 9.30 am.

The NACC has listed 4 witnesses, including Nam Yimyaem, to testify.

The NACC has filed a case against Thaksin and 47 other people for abusing their power to authorise a new two- and three-digit lottery system to . The case has been submitted to the Supreme Court's Division for Holders of Political Positions.

Concerning the government's plans to use the seized money gained from selling lotteries, Sithichok said the NACC has filed a case against the 47 accused, to pay a compensation of 14 billion baht to the Finance Ministry and the Interior Ministry.

Sithichok said the 140 billion baht gained in the government lottery was not sent to the Government Lottery Office but to another bank account, with the Operations Development Committee authorised in allocating the money to various government projects.

- TOC / 2009-03-11