Focus On Thaksin's Associates

[webfact]

FUNDING RED SHIRTS

Focus on Thaksin's associates

By Piyanuch Thamnukasetchai,

Chularat Saengpassa

The Nation

Eight panels to probe trail; names of 86 alleged financiers to be revealed soon

BANGKOK: -- The ongoing investigation into the financial transactions of 86 individuals and companies allegedly involved in the funding of the violent red-shirt protests would focus on five groups of people with ties to ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the Anti-Money Laundering Office said yesterday.

Eight subcommittees will consist of representatives of Amlo, the National Anti-Corruption Commission, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) and the Revenue Department.

Acting Amlo secretary-general Seehanart Prayoonrat said the first panel would trace the money-transfer records of people with close ties to the fugitive ex-premier and his family members. They will be interrogated, and explanations will be sought as to how they acquired the money or to whom or for what purpose they transferred the money during the red-shirt protests.

The second panel will deal with the protest leaders and demonstrators suspected of resorting to armed violence.

The third panel will probe politicians with ties to Thaksin and the protest leaders.

The fourth panel will go after business people who have a close relationship with the ex-prime minister.

The fifth panel will investigate senior police and military officers with ties to Thaksin.

The three remaining panels will deal with money transfers and business transactions involving large amounts of money running into hundreds of millions of baht in each transaction.

DSI director-general Tharit Pengdit on Monday said the authorities would reveal all 86 names allegedly involved in the financing of the red-shirt protests.

He said the 86 would be summoned to explain their cases before the government panel.

Tharit said these people would have to report on their own to the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation and clarify their cases directly or with the help of their lawyers.

"But they can't let others speak for them without showing up," he said.

Army chief General Anupong Paochinda is expected to sign the order this Sunday for the suspects to report themselves to the authorities for questioning.

The authorities are trying to complete investigations into the financiers or masterminds of the red-shirt protests before the government lifts the emergency decree next month. The freeze of the suspects' bank accounts has been made possible by the declaration of the emergency decree.

Those found to be linked to the financing of the red-shirt protests could face terrorism charges.

Panitan Wattanayagorn, deputy secretary-general to the PM, said the government was now also investigating money transfers outside the banking system or legitimate business transactions - a special process that he said would take longer than the probe into transactions using banking service.

"The meetings and gatherings of people involved in the protests will also be looked into," he added.

He said the compilation of evidence is being done systematically through a joint effort by many relevant agencies to carefully produce evidence that would be listened to by the judges when the cases were proceeded in court trials.

In one case, Karnjanapha Honghern, a secretary to Pojaman na Pombejra, and Ekaraj Changlao, a former teacher from Khon Kaen, allegedly withdrew Bt600 million and put the whole amount in a truck. The whereabouts of that money remain unknown.

The wives of two key Democratic Alliance against Dictatorship leaders yesterday denied that money transfers in and out of their husbands' bank accounts were spent on funding the violent protests last month.

Speaking after visiting husband Veera Musigapong at Klong Prem Prison, Srivilai Pasutanont said Veera expressed surprised about Bt10 million being transferred to his bank account during the protest after she informed him of the money detected by authorities.

"He even joked with me that if the Bt10 million were really there, he wanted me to withdraw it immediately," she added.

Thida Tojirakarn, wife of red-shirt leader Weng, said the Bt1.4 million transferred to his account was payment for the sale of a land plot many years ago.

"The buyer had already paid Bt6 million and Bt3 million in two instalments. The final payment of Bt1.4 million was made coincidentally during the protest and has become a cause for suspicion," she said.

-- The Nation 2010-06-18

[webfact]

ASK THE EDITORS

Funding story is getting very intriguing

By Tulsathit Taptim

Has the government delivered a major blow to the red-shirt movement through financial information leaks?

Those who are inclined to believe so may need to consider the fact that this on-going political showdown has been marked by damaging allegations with little evidence to prove them.

The latest development continues to be part of the information warfare, which started with the red shirts themselves accusing Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva of plotting a violent crackdown on protesters. A voice clip was used repeatedly at the rally site featuring Abhisit speaking of details of his malicious plan, although any neutral listener could easily see that it was doctored. Ever since then a mutual smear campaign has escalated.

Ever since, the government has hit back equally hard. Having accused the protesters of being infiltrated by terrorists, the government initially named around 170 individuals and firms as potential sponsors of terrorism. Then about half of that were abruptly dropped from the blacklist.

The shrinking of the blacklist was almost as interesting as the stunning terrorism charges themselves. If the conspicuous dropping of the charges had happened elsewhere, the government could have been hit with massive lawsuits from the cleared suspects. But since it's Thailand, sceptics are asking if secret deals have been struck under the table.

The latest leaks sounded primarily shocking. Thaksin Shinawatra's two children - Panthongtae and Pinthongta - allegedly withdrew Bt4 billion and Bt6 billion respectively during the political turbulence. It was not clear if it was the money "unfrozen" following the recent Supreme Court ruling or Panthongtae and Pinthongta had the cash from the very beginning. Whatever the origin of the money, how the Shinawatra siblings spent it would be more important as far as the public are concerned.

Army chief Anupong Paochinda is expected to sign an order in the next two days to kick-start interrogation of the 86 individuals and firms remaining on the blacklist. It is doubtful Panthongtae and Pinthongta will be answering the questions on their own, not least because there was nothing on public records about any mega-investment project that concerned the two.

While the cash withdrawals involving the two were massive, more embarrassing have been the leaked figures concerning what was put in the accounts of red leaders when their fight for the country's poor was at its height.

Veera Musigapong allegedly had Bt10.5 million put into his account since April last year, Kwanchai Praipana had Bt14 million in his account, while Suporn Attawong had Bt9 million. weng Tojirakarn's account had Bt1.5 million deposited, whereas Nisit Sinthuprai (considered a second-generation red leader) had Bt5 million in his account.

As of now, it seems only a minor political blow at best. Red leaders having millions in their accounts would not change any sentiment domestically. Sympathi-sers of the red-shirt movement would never mind that, otherwise they would have questioned the Thaksin connection in the first place. Some international watchers may be surprised to know that most red leaders are now richer than average Thais, but perceptions can only change if the government can prove the money came through illegitimate means.

So far, the government has only been able to sow seed of doubts in the so-called "struggle" of Thailand's poor against the country's elites. The next steps will require both political and legal transparency. The post-bloodbath battleline has been drawn now. One side will try to portray the fight as the rural poor against the rich elite, while the other is seeking to prove that big money, which has wrecked Thailand is trying to find its way back to power using the underprivileged as a shield.

No matter which side is right, the showdown is certainly not as simple as it first appeared to be.

-- The Nation 2010-06-18

[brahmburgers]

This should be very interesting - to follow the money and hear the endless blabbering of excuses from those involved.

"So what if I made 10.5 million last year while not having a job, you gotta problem with that?"

After Apartheid ended in South Africa, they had their Truth and Reconciliation Hearings. Over in Thailand, it will be the Truth and Soggy Excuses Hearings - if the culprits show up. Most will avoid summonses and/or simply split overseas.

In one case, Karnjanapha Honghern, a secretary to Pojaman na Pombejra, and Ekaraj Changlao, a former teacher from Khon Kaen, allegedly withdrew Bt600 million and put the whole amount in a truck. The whereabouts of that money remain unknown.

I can hear her now; "600 million baht - What's the big deal? I needed some ballast for my pick-up truck for better traction. I needed to air out some other peoples' money, it was getting a bit moldy. Serves the Thai government right for not printing anything larger than those pesky 1,000 baht notes - if they printed ten million baht notes, then I could have fit them in my wallet and there wouldn't be this annoying problem."

[Ricardo]

Perhaps they were merely planning a shopping-trip, to Paris or Dubai, and needed a little spending-money ?

[craigt3365]

What blows my mind is how the red's up in Issan still sympathize with these guys. If this is truly a class struggle, then the rich are leading it and getting richer! It's not like Ghandi, who fought for the poor...and was poor. This is crazy. And we will never know the truth of what is going on behind closed doors. Corruption is killing this country...

[ozzieman05]

When the best of the American law agency could not bring Al Capone to his knees because of curruption

It was a small man behind a desk that did it

Book keeping was the way Copone saw his final day in court and went to jail

Funny how history repeats itself

The Thai government needs to hire some top experts in money laundering

Thakins days and many currupt official's days are numbered

The question is, a lot of important people are ready to fall

Will they have the will power to finish what they have started

[selftaopath]

When the best of the American law agency could not bring Al Capone to his knees because of curruption

It was a small man behind a desk that did it

Book keeping was the way Copone saw his final day in court and went to jail

Funny how history repeats itself

The Thai government needs to hire some top experts in money laundering

Thakins days and many currupt official's days are numbered

The question is, a lot of important people are ready to fall

Will they have the will power to finish what they have started

The third panel will probe politicians with ties to Thaksin and the protest leaders.

When I read about current politicians flying out of Thailand to meet with T.S. I was shocked that nothing was apparently done to these said govt. officials.

I find it difficult to find consequences for behavior in Lack of Sanctions (LOS).

Once a professor of Criminology stated: If there is NO punishment there is NO crime. LOL Ah Thailand.

[Insight]

What blows my mind is how the red's up in Issan still sympathize with these guys. If this is truly a class struggle, then the rich are leading it and getting richer! It's not like Ghandi, who fought for the poor...and was poor. This is crazy. And we will never know the truth of what is going on behind closed doors. Corruption is killing this country...

But just like the revelation that the protest leaders were staying in a reasonable 4* hotel while the protesters slummed it, I don't think it'll do much to shake the support. Reason why is simple - everybody wants a piece.

[Rucharee]

This should be very interesting - to follow the money and hear the endless blabbering of excuses from those involved.

"So what if I made 10.5 million last year while not having a job, you gotta problem with that?"

After Apartheid ended in South Africa, they had their Truth and Reconciliation Hearings. Over in Thailand, it will be the Truth and Soggy Excuses Hearings - if the culprits show up. Most will avoid summonses and/or simply split overseas.

In one case, Karnjanapha Honghern, a secretary to Pojaman na Pombejra, and Ekaraj Changlao, a former teacher from Khon Kaen, allegedly withdrew Bt600 million and put the whole amount in a truck. The whereabouts of that money remain unknown.

I can hear her now; "600 million baht - What's the big deal? I needed some ballast for my pick-up truck for better traction. I needed to air out some other peoples' money, it was getting a bit moldy. Serves the Thai government right for not printing anything larger than those pesky 1,000 baht notes - if they printed ten million baht notes, then I could have fit them in my wallet and there wouldn't be this annoying problem."

No banks will stock 600 million in cash. Get the CCTV tape as proof.

[smedly]

If they successfully find the money trail and the people involved in receiving large ammouts that they cannot account for, will and should effectivly end the Red Shirts as we currently know it, and if thaksin is involved could lead to further moves to confiscate his empire and bring more charges, this move is probably the best and most effective way to expose them all for what they really are.........there is hope

[Insight]

This should be very interesting - to follow the money and hear the endless blabbering of excuses from those involved.

"So what if I made 10.5 million last year while not having a job, you gotta problem with that?"

After Apartheid ended in South Africa, they had their Truth and Reconciliation Hearings. Over in Thailand, it will be the Truth and Soggy Excuses Hearings - if the culprits show up. Most will avoid summonses and/or simply split overseas.

In one case, Karnjanapha Honghern, a secretary to Pojaman na Pombejra, and Ekaraj Changlao, a former teacher from Khon Kaen, allegedly withdrew Bt600 million and put the whole amount in a truck. The whereabouts of that money remain unknown.

I can hear her now; "600 million baht - What's the big deal? I needed some ballast for my pick-up truck for better traction. I needed to air out some other peoples' money, it was getting a bit moldy. Serves the Thai government right for not printing anything larger than those pesky 1,000 baht notes - if they printed ten million baht notes, then I could have fit them in my wallet and there wouldn't be this annoying problem."

No banks will stock 600 million in cash. Get the CCTV tape as proof.

Hi Miss Dodgy Signature, perhaps surrendering the CCTV footage was part of the deal behind the 600 million baht withdrawal from the bank...? We all know Thai bank managers are roll models for ethical conduct, but look at the figures involved...

Edited June 18, 2010 by Insight

[bendejo]

Truth? In Thailand?

Get real. Better chance of finding a live unicorn.

[junglist]

Truth? In Thailand?

Get real. Better chance of finding a live unicorn.

nice sad but true... oh look....

[Pib]

This investigation is definitely going to put a kink in the red shirt water (money) hose...a kink that's going to really slow down the money flow which kept the red shirt movement healthy and growing. The movement may now wither, but it won't die. It will green-up again just before the elections.

[Rucharee]

This investigation is definitely going to put a kink in the red shirt water (money) hose...a kink that's going to really slow down the money flow which kept the red shirt movement healthy and growing. The movement may now wither, but it won't die. It will green-up again just before the elections.

Why bet on a loosing horse?

Mark is the star of the day.

PAD spot on.

[tigerbalm]

May be they were going to buy some Thaicom shares with the money

[jonclark]

This should be very interesting - to follow the money and hear the endless blabbering of excuses from those involved.

"So what if I made 10.5 million last year while not having a job, you gotta problem with that?"

After Apartheid ended in South Africa, they had their Truth and Reconciliation Hearings. Over in Thailand, it will be the Truth and Soggy Excuses Hearings - if the culprits show up. Most will avoid summonses and/or simply split overseas.

In one case, Karnjanapha Honghern, a secretary to Pojaman na Pombejra, and Ekaraj Changlao, a former teacher from Khon Kaen, allegedly withdrew Bt600 million and put the whole amount in a truck. The whereabouts of that money remain unknown.

I can hear her now; "600 million baht - What's the big deal? I needed some ballast for my pick-up truck for better traction. I needed to air out some other peoples' money, it was getting a bit moldy. Serves the Thai government right for not printing anything larger than those pesky 1,000 baht notes - if they printed ten million baht notes, then I could have fit them in my wallet and there wouldn't be this annoying problem."

No banks will stock 600 million in cash. Get the CCTV tape as proof.

Of course they will 600 million is a tiny amount , especially if they gave advance notice of the intention to widraw, . Why do you need CCTV?? The banks will have electronic records of the transactions and no doubt the obligatory photocopy of the ID card for the person withdrawing the amount??

[Samuian]

What blows my mind is how the red's up in Issan still sympathize with these guys. If this is truly a class struggle, then the rich are leading it and getting richer! It's not like Ghandi, who fought for the poor...and was poor. This is crazy. And we will never know the truth of what is going on behind closed doors. Corruption is killing this country...

Same as they been convinced to vote for this man and his troupe!

They've been "activated" to be used and they followed their leaders willingly!

It's sad... ruthless, no evil really.

[Canada]

This is starting to sound a lot like the war on drugs. A lot of noise that will amount to nothing as things carry on as normal. The powers...or the rich do not want change....why would they? It would only threaten their advantage. They'll just fight over who has control. But the control will never get out of the "circle", and it stays that way thru the illusion of pursuit of change. Boring....

[givenall]

Perhaps they were merely planning a shopping-trip, to Paris or Dubai, and needed a little spending-money ?

The noose is getting tighter and tighter around Thaksin and his gang. He better start negotiating a truces before it chooks him completely, although may be too late:bah:

[Insight]

Apparently Chalerm stated this morning that Thaksin still had lots of money to fund another rally. So I guess he's practically admitting it was his cash used to fund the last one then (in the face of this overwhelming evidence)?

Given it's now very clear that Thaksin is a major contributor to these rallies, what do the apologists who say the red shirts are not about Thaksin stand on this issue? Without this major source of funding would the red shirt movement even exist?

[brahmburgers]

If they successfully find the money trail and the people involved in receiving large ammouts that they cannot account for, will and should effectivly end the Red Shirts as we currently know it, and if thaksin is involved could lead to further moves to confiscate his empire and bring more charges, this move is probably the best and most effective way to expose them all for what they really are.........there is hope

I'm inclined to agree, and hope this takes the air out of the tires of the Red machine. However, there are 2 basic tenet of the Reds that's going to be hard to squash - and those two items are what keeps the Reds alive as a movement:

#1. The peons in Issan believe Thaksin is the only one who can get them more money. They hear about T's promises of debt relief. They don't mind is he's filthy rich or how he got all that lucre. The fact that he is rich and purports to be dedicated to getting them more money is what matters for them.

#2. Thaksin was smart in enriching the pu yai ban (village headmen) of the regions which voted strongest for him. The Pu Yai Ban want to get gobs more money, so they're the ones (as much as any others) who continue to sing T's praises.

This news (to some) of clandestinely channeling hundreds of millions of baht to leaders, (and a trickle down amount to the peons out on the sidewalks) won't affect T's support base. If anything, it's added proof that T, his family and friends can be relied upon to keep channeling money their way.

[jayboy]

Given it's now very clear that Thaksin is a major contributor to these rallies, what do the apologists who say the red shirts are not about Thaksin stand on this issue? Without this major source of funding would the red shirt movement even exist?

There's no logic here.Certainly Thaksin played a part in funding the rallies.It doesn't follow that the red shirt movement wouldn't exist without such funding.I know that many of the urban middle class believe this but it's not intellectually sustainable.The more serious and thoughtful opponents of Thaksin don't believe it.

[Insight]

Given it's now very clear that Thaksin is a major contributor to these rallies, what do the apologists who say the red shirts are not about Thaksin stand on this issue? Without this major source of funding would the red shirt movement even exist?

There's no logic here.Certainly Thaksin played a part in funding the rallies.It doesn't follow that the red shirt movement wouldn't exist without such funding.I know that many of the urban middle class believe this but it's not intellectually sustainable.The more serious and thoughtful opponents of Thaksin don't believe it.

I wish a "more serious and thoughtful" opponent of Thaksin. Guess I'm happy just being a regular opponent of Thaksin for now.

In the meantime the same question that has been around for the past two years stands - why doesn't the non-Thaksin-admiring element of the red shirts thoroughly distance themselves from him owing to the amount of baggage he carries?

Looking forward to your next insult-sprinkled response.

[hideki]

Billions were transferred to Thaksin’s allies during Thailand’s Red Crisis | Thailand Business News

[jayboy]

I wish a "more serious and thoughtful" opponent of Thaksin. Guess I'm happy just being a regular opponent of Thaksin for now.

In the meantime the same question that has been around for the past two years stands - why doesn't the non-Thaksin-admiring element of the red shirts thoroughly distance themselves from him owing to the amount of baggage he carries?

Looking forward to your next insult-sprinkled response.

Actually you are looking for insults where none were intended. I was referring to serious critics of Thaksin like Baker/Pasuk: there was no intention to belittle anyone else.

In fact the issue you raise - which is a different one to your original - is a pertinent one.The reality is that Thaksin not only originated the red movement but poisoned it as well.Very few Reds disown Thaksin.

[citizen33]

Interesting indeed to get more information on what money exists and where it came from, although we need to be sure that what we learn is not filtered too much by the powers that be. When I've talked to red shirt sympathizers about this issue (and I admit my contacts are not near the top of the tree), they tend to make two points.

The first is that the money used to support the rally came from quite a variety of sources, supportive either of Thaksin or the cause more generally. Most money did not come directly from Thaksin's own accounts but included donations from powerful individuals and organisations in Thailand (no, I can't verify this or say which ones). If that is true it does not suggest blind support, but calculations of future interest and, in some cases, attempts to position such organisations or individuals favourably in a post-Thaksin era. Obviously if that happened the calculations backfired. This scenario runs counter to the 'just one man' theory attractive to many TV posters. The empirical test will be whether there is a money trail all the way back to Thaksin's accounts or if a big proportion indeed seems to come from other sources.

The second point made is that the notion that all the protestors were on a daily 'wage' involves a vast exaggeration. It seems that some were paid, but generally the money went on fuel, supplies and subsistence, and the red account would be that very many protested out of conviction. It's hard to know just where the evidence to verify the truth or falsity of this claim would come from. Some TV posters, for instance, have conveniently forgotten that the much-trumpeted Udon Thani video of reds queueing to get paid, turned out on examination and translation to be about payng drivers the cost of taking vehicles transporting protestors to Bangkok, and also showed the organisers soliciting donations from people who could not go themselves.

As stated, I don't know where the truth lies and hope to see harder evidence than is presently available.

Edited June 18, 2010 by citizen33

[eggomaniac]

Interesting indeed to get more information on what money exists and where it came from, although we need to be sure that what we learn is not filtered too much by the powers that be. When I've talked to red shirt sympathizers about this issue (and I admit my contacts are not near the top of the tree), they tend to make two points.

The first is that the money used to support the rally came from quite a variety of sources, supportive either of Thaksin or the cause more generally. Most money did not come directly from Thaksin's own accounts but included donations from powerful individuals and organisations in Thailand (no, I can't verify this or say which ones). If that is true it does not suggest blind support, but calculations of future interest and, in some cases, attempts to position such organisations or individuals favourably in a post-Thaksin era. Obviously if that happened the calculations backfired. This scenario runs counter to the 'just one man' theory attractive to many TV posters. The empirical test will be whether there is a money trail all the way back to Thaksin's accounts or if a big proportion indeed seems to come from other sources.

The second point made is that the notion that all the protestors were on a daily 'wage' involves a vast exaggeration. It seems that some were paid, but generally the money went on fuel, supplies and subsistence, and the red account would be that very many protested out of conviction. It's hard to know just where the evidence to verify the truth or falsity of this claim would come from. Some TV posters, for instance, have conveniently forgotten that the much-trumpeted Udon Thani video of reds queueing to get paid, turned out on examination and translation to be about payng drivers the cost of taking vehicles transporting protestors to Bangkok, and also showed the organisers soliciting donations from people who could not go themselves.

As stated, I don't know where the truth lies and hope to see harder evidence than is presently available.

What good is evidence? Sondhi is still free.

[hideki]

The first is that the money used to support the rally came from quite a variety of sources, supportive either of Thaksin or the cause more generally. Most money did not come directly from Thaksin's own accounts but included donations from powerful individuals and organisations in Thailand

Correct in that it didn't come directly from Thaksin; nearly 12 Billion Baht came through his two billionaire children, who I am sure have nothing to do with their father's financial dealings.

This scenario runs counter to the 'just one man' theory attractive to many TV posters.

Agreed, it should be just one man and two children.

The empirical test will be whether there is a money trail all the way back to Thaksin's accounts or if a big proportion indeed seems to come from other sources.

He's got money scattered all over. Just because it may not specifically read "Thaksin Shinawatra" on the Krung Thai bank account passbook doesn't necessarily mean he has nothing to do with the flow of cash into and out of the account. The whole concept of money laundering (whether it's Thaksin or Columbian drug cartels) is based on this sort of action.

The second point made is that the notion that all the protestors were on a daily 'wage' involves a vast exaggeration.

Perhaps not all, but

Billions were transferred to Thaksin’s allies during Thailand’s Red Crisis | Thailand Business News

does go quite far, even in these hard economic times.

Edited June 18, 2010 by hideki

[bendejo]

This is starting to sound a lot like the war on drugs.

....

The big difference is that whenever someone says "war on drugs" Uncle Sam gets out his checkbook. And least it used to be. Now I think they're too busy writing checks when they hear the t-word to notice it.