Thailand Aims To Seize All Thaksin Fortune

[webfact]

Thailand aims to seize all Thaksin fortune: attorney general

BANGKOK: -- (AFP) - Thailand's attorney general wants all of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra's 2.2 billion-dollar fortune to be seized by the court in its ruling this month, the office said in closing arguments Tuesday.

Chief of the attorney general's team, Sekesan Bangsomboon, said the 121-page final document had been submitted to the Supreme Court "to explain why the assets should be seized and we have asked the court to seize all of it."

Thaksin is living in exile to escape a two-year jail term for graft handed to him in absentia in October 2008.

On February 26 the Supreme Court will decide whether the fortune of the telecoms tycoon -- frozen in the months after he was deposed in a coup in 2006 -- can be seized by authorities.

Thaksin's lawyer submitted a closing statement on his behalf in late January, denying that the former leader used his power as prime minister to obtain his wealth.

Thaksin's ex-wife, Pojaman Damapong, argued in her closing statement that many of the assets that prosecutors argue were transferred to her by her then-husband, in fact belonged to her before the marriage.

"With our evidence, we have asked the court to lift its request for the assets seizure," Pojaman's lawyer Somporn Pongsuwan said.

Thaksin loyalists are stepping up anti-government demonstrations ahead of the court date.

The government has begun to deploy at least 20,000 extra security forces across the country in case of a populist backlash if the court rules to seize Thaksin's fortune.

Despite staying abroad since August 2008, Thaksin remains a divisive figure in his homeland. Both his opponents and supporters have staged numerous mass rallies over the past year, which have sometimes turned violent.

-- ©Copyright AFP 2010-02-09

Published with written approval from AFP.

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[Hannibal]

Wow!! let the battle begin!!

[Slaps]

There maybe troouuble aheead

[Garry]

I reckon the fur is going to fly at the end of this month

[Igor]

I'm sure Mr Thaksin's supporters will accept the judgement of the court with grace and abomb. Ooops! I meant "aplomb"! Really...

[Navalator]

Wow!! let the battle begin!!

.............otherwise known as a CIVIL WAR!

[anon467367354]

GOOD! How about some social programs for the Thai people? It would certainly be a shame if it was distributed amongst the corrupt. Dump some of it towards the Tsunami victims that are still suffering without medical care for lack of funds. I would love to see something done about all the crazy people that society seems to accept as normal street inhabitants. Sadly, I think the feces is going to hit the oscillating rotor, and hard. It's going get nasty, so we all have to be strong. Screw the bastard! This is good news. Other than that I have no opinion.

[Tejas]

I'm sure Mr Thaksin's supporters will accept the judgement of the court with grace and abomb. Ooops! I meant "aplomb"! Really...

"Walk this way"..........good avatar.

Isn't this really a moot point?

The man is rich. He has the best lawyers.

And most of his money is in shelters abroad.

Or, maybe not. He does seem be be acting like a man with a lot to lose.

I doubt he will ever live a life of poverty or see the inside of a jail

[torrenova]

Has anyone ever worked out just how much of his fortune was gained from corruption and whether he did actually make a couple of million reasonably fairly ?

Can't see this ending well whichever way it goes.

[thejcb]

GOOD! How about some social programs for the Thai people? It would certainly be a shame if it was distributed amongst the corrupt. Dump some of it towards the Tsunami victims that are still suffering without medical care for lack of funds. I would love to see something done about all the crazy people that society seems to accept as normal street inhabitants. Sadly, I think the feces is going to hit the oscillating rotor, and hard. It's going get nasty, so we all have to be strong. Screw the bastard! This is good news. Other than that I have no opinion.

No. hand it to the poor people of Isaan. The tsunami "victims" are mostly from the affluent Phuket/Krabi areas. They had a good hand out already. However, they charge ridiculous prices for the foreigners there and they have always had money and never contributed anything their own people in Isaan

[robertson468]

This saga has been better than any crime thriller I have read and is equally "not put downable", but what I worry about is, is it ever going to be "endabable". Some how me thinks this is only the begininng of the end and there are several more exciting chapters yet to unfold

[TheJoker12]

I hope there is a ton of mayhem (I be out of the country) and there are two or three more coups, airports shut down and the baht floating around the 55 mark when I get back. Fingers Crossed!

[Murf]

Big trouble in little Thailand...

[writeshack]

So what's new. That's what prosecutors do. Why the news flash?

[basjke]

Let the games begin!!

[johncitizen]

Thaksin was a rich man even before he came into power, and the governments claim to his entire fortune is spurious indeed. I also find it a little disturbing how you all accept what should be a fair trial as a foregone conclusion and see no problem in doing so. I think you have all been in Thailand a little too long.

[jackinbkk]

A news flash saying they want to seize the funds, not that they have.

Brilliant!

[MaiChai]

Seizing all his assets seems a bit drastic, but we will have to see what the court has determined.

[NanaFoods]

Thaksin was a rich man even before he came into power, and the governments claim to his entire fortune is spurious indeed. I also find it a little disturbing how you all accept what should be a fair trial as a foregone conclusion and see no problem in doing so. I think you have all been in Thailand a little too long.

Dubious ruling or not, I doubt they can seize all of it... I'm sure Thaksin was/is smart enough to stash a healthy nest-egg or two outside of Thailand.

[mythBuster]

FOr those living in Disneyland instead of Thailand, it must be amazing to see that media spend so much attention on a soap opera. Given the fact that the Thai courts are not independent at all and the elite is jealous it is no surprise that the assets will be seized. It makes Thailand in the eyes of a business community even more of a failed state. Parallels can be drawn with the Cordocovsky case in Russia. A very popular man who dared to go into politics and threatened the crooked political elite. We all know how that ended. At least Thaksin was smart enough to go abroad.

It would be wiser when the sponsors of the democrat party would be punished. I am talking not only about the company who screwed the banks and people out of billions of dollars and was able to donate a significant sum, but also to the gentleman living in London who became filthy rich from an pyramid scheme.

Given the fact that not one court is free on interference that prosecutors are cowards dancing to the tune of anyone in power and judges pay for the privilege to be appointed, the outcome is crystal clear.

[AsiaCheese]

GOOD! How about some social programs for the Thai people? It would certainly be a shame if it was distributed amongst the corrupt.

No. hand it to the poor people of Isaan.

No, "handing it" isn't the term I'd use -- put it to good use!! Create three-headed gov't entities (one comptroller, one comptroller to check on the first comptroller, one to oversee the money's use) and funnel funds towards education (proper non-packed-earth schoolyards, decent pay for teachers, school materials -- the works), infrastructure where needed, hospitals (they need more equipment than the minimal stock some of 'em have in Isaan) -- mai roo, I'm not a gov't type & I'm not Thai & I don't live there, but I'm sure there are ample number of people who can chart the REAL needs.

Handing the money to the poor in the form of money creates havoc, rich pujay ban's & the biggest whiskey bilge ever to hit the North-East...

There again -- I hope the courts do some serious "accounting" of what's rightfully Mr. T's (to be picked up personally) and what he wrongfully acquired through the position he was in.

[elektrified]

GOOD! How about some social programs for the Thai people? It would certainly be a shame if it was distributed amongst the corrupt. Dump some of it towards the Tsunami victims that are still suffering without medical care for lack of funds. I would love to see something done about all the crazy people that society seems to accept as normal street inhabitants. Sadly, I think the feces is going to hit the oscillating rotor, and hard. It's going get nasty, so we all have to be strong. Screw the bastard! This is good news. Other than that I have no opinion.

No. hand it to the poor people of Isaan. The tsunami "victims" are mostly from the affluent Phuket/Krabi areas. They had a good hand out already. However, they charge ridiculous prices for the foreigners there and they have always had money and never contributed anything their own people in Isaan

What a ridiculous statement.

[dude007]

Wow!! let the battle begin!!

.............otherwise known as a CIVIL WAR!

cannot be avoided anyhow. So let's go for it. This creep shoud be blacklisted everywhere and cursed by witches for the rest of his days. Ever since he existed he was a split in the Thai scoiety, how can one call such a thief and bastard a "leader". To the gallows with him! Despite a civil war provoked by dumb people anyhow who need months if not years to understand that the real culprit is TOXIN. What a waste of time, energy and opportunity, all coming from one trouble maker...

[pipchatel]

Its hard to believe this Country, it really is. Just how could they throw out the one man who could have changed Thailand in to one of The Asan Tigers! Its not about corrupt politicians, its about WHICH corrupt politician was best for Thailand, your replies please on the back of a 1000baht note

CLUE Name begins with T!

Its no co incidence that 10% of Thailand is ethnic Chinese l,Its no coincidence that those 10% are rich and a success.

[Chris Lawrence]

greed feeding greed. How are they going to distribute the wealth between the wealthy? Poor Mr Thaksin.

[Scott]

Politicians and public figures have proper names. Please use them. One post has been deleted for this reason.

[asiawatcher]

Thaksin was a rich man even before he came into power, and the governments claim to his entire fortune is spurious indeed. I also find it a little disturbing how you all accept what should be a fair trial as a foregone conclusion and see no problem in doing so. I think you have all been in Thailand a little too long.

Perhaps a look at how he got rich. Check out the Superioir Court Judgement in the US about the 1.5Bn he scammed from the Satellite provider and then look at how he promised funds to the poor - when he got elected - which he did - Baht 1M per village and gues what - they all got their share and bought mobile phones! Who owned the phone company?

Have a look at his Dissertation for his Masters and you will see the 'profile' of a man who is against the 'system'. Do some DD before making comments like you have here.

The man is convicted by a Thai Court under its French Romanesque system (no jury) thus less likely to be claimed the jury was paid off which in this case, works! He did a runner and innocent people do not 'run away'. Now he is funding a private vendetta to keep the 'wealth'. Does someone need to draw you a picture?

[kissrev1]

The Thai government is pompously declaring that they are going to seize all of Mr. Thaksin's money because he got it thorough graft. He owned a telecom giant and sold it, legally. If anything is illegal, it is probably the government's entire case against Thaksin. I am not a fan of old "square face," but he is no worse than any other highly-positioned Thai. As graft and corruption are SOP in Thailand, the government trying to seize his money is probably the purest case of irony I have seen in a long time. I will now sit back and watch the real-life Thai soap opera

[grantbkk]

Again, not breaking news but it was good to see the ads for girls direct to your room again. I think that is the point of this news alert.

[timekeeper]

The Thai government is pompously declaring that they are going to seize all of Mr. Thaksin's money because he got it thorough graft. He owned a telecom giant and sold it, legally. If anything is illegal, it is probably the government's entire case against Thaksin. I am not a fan of old "square face," but he is no worse than any other highly-positioned Thai. As graft and corruption are SOP in Thailand, the government trying to seize his money is probably the purest case of irony I have seen in a long time. I will now sit back and watch the real-life Thai soap opera

the man is a traitor, seize the lot and chop off his head!