Chalerm Links 'Money Trove' To Politicians With Homes In London: Suphoth Cash

[tragickingdom]

The Nation is a really interested newsletter. A real paper would have asked why a man that was instrumental to a illegal government that they have always supported has tens in millions of cash and from whom people say he had actually over 200 million in cash. It is not really important though, the Nation is not a serious newspaper at all they are the Royalist cheerleaders.

[lannarebirth]

The Nation is a really interested newsletter. A real paper would have asked why a man that was instrumental to a illegal government that they have always supported has tens in millions of cash and from whom people say he had actually over 200 million in cash. It is not really important though, the Nation is not a serious newspaper at all they are the Royalist cheerleaders.

What country do you hail from? I'm going to contact your Revenue Dept and tell them you've got 200 million whatevers stashed in your mia noi's ceiling. I'm sure you can document where it all came from, whether the money turns up or not. Good Luck!

[yumidesign]

I can think of at least one Thai politician, who has a nice home in London, hope that Deputy-PM Chalerm isn't suggesting that he used "ill-gotten gains" to buy the home or his (for a short time) football-club ?

And wasn't it supposed to be more than 10 times the "stolen Bt 18 million", which the burglars had taken, 'shome mistake here' ?

Ricardo, Thaksin was a billionaire BEFORE he got into politics. I am sure he could afford more than a few homes wherever he wanted.

oh i thought he was a policeman on 20,000 tbt / month 55555

[KKK]

four-expert committee to look into .... unusual wealth

experts in what!! unusual wealth!! wonder how much they got tucked away....

[bino]

I missed the report on the spectacularly, lavish wedding ... or any report about the wedding except for the fact that there was one. Can you point it out?

You're right.It was a simple ceremony at the amphur office and the guests repaired afterwards to the noodle store.After all a lowly paid official must cut his cloth...

So there is nothing to back up your statement of a "spectacularly, lavish wedding"?

I'm not going to go back and find the story- you can do that if it matters enough to you, but it was reported that Supoj was attending the wedding of his daughter at a Wireless Road hotel when the theft occurred. Considering that the hotels here are seriously upscale, such as the Conrad, and that the bride allegedly commanded a 5 million SinSod, it is easy to envision that this wedding was a lavish affair and certainly not an Amphur wedding.

[moonbarman]

Transport Minister Sukampol Suwannathat said he had set up a four-expert committee to look into Suphoth's alleged unusual wealth.

Exclusive photo of the expert members of the committee.

How dare you sully the name of the Banana Splits!!!! disgraceful one of my favourite childhood shows(5555555), size of a bull!

[harleyclarkey]

He claimed that politicians who had bought homes in London's Kensington area with money that came via Suphoth were now all panicked, for fear of being exposed and caught.

Nice...the top brass, who despise every foreigner who dares to try to buy any property in Thailand with a half decent title, can buy what they like in other countries with cast iron title.

Long overdue that the EC protect it's citizens and offer a like for like title to the Thais.

[webfact]

Quick Arrest Expected for Robbery Gang Leader

The national corruption watchdog conducted a search at the residence of the permanent secretary of transport for more evidence in the robbery of millions of baht in cash.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung hinted the ringleader of the robbery is expected to be captured soon.

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said he believed the ringleader of the robbery of millions of baht in cash from the residence of the Transport permanent secretary will be captured soon.

The police have launched a manhunt for Weerasak Chuealee, who's believed to be the ringleader of the heist.

Chalerm claimed his sources in the Provincial Police Bureau 4 told him Weerasak may be brought into the police custody soon with the help of the Laotian police.

Weerasak was believed to have fled to Laos when news broke about the robbery.

Millions of baht in cash was stolen from the residence of Transport permanent secretary Supoj Saplom.

Chalerm said he's confident the National Anti-corruption Commission or NACC will soon be able to determine the true amount of cash that was stolen from Supoj's house.

There are discrepancies to the amount of cash Supoj claimed was stolen and amount that the robbers claimed they took from his house.

The deputy premier also insisted the cash was part of a kickback from the green line mass transit construction project.

He also claimed the cash at Supoj's residence was meant to be transferred out of the country via 9 remittance houses in Bangkok.

The NACC conducted a search at Supoj's house in Ladprao 64 for more evidence into the robbery.

No members of the media were allowed to film inside the premises during the search.

He suggested people in the corruption ring normally won't conceal their graft money in their homes, but they will transfer it to countries where their finances are unlikely to be trailed.

-- Tan Network 2011-11-29

[whybother]

He [Chalerm] suggested people in the corruption ring normally won't conceal their graft money in their homes, but they will transfer it to countries where their finances are unlikely to be trailed.

He should know.

[tommyboy928]

I can think of at least one Thai politician, who has a nice home in London, hope that Deputy-PM Chalerm isn't suggesting that he used "ill-gotten gains" to buy the home or his (for a short time) football-club ?

And wasn't it supposed to be more than 10 times the "stolen Bt 18 million", which the burglars had taken, 'shome mistake here' ?

Will be fun to find how they going t try clean up this mess. Anybody that has good press connections that will follow this one to the hole it would be hided ?

Guess its lots of police, politics and military that signed up last weeks for new bank boxes...

[khunken]

All the arguments about the 'lavishness' or not of the wedding are totally irrelevant.

The point apparently missed so far is that Chalerm has conducted a trial in public in which he is the prosecutor, judge & jury & pronounced Supoj & a politician from an opposing party - guilty.

What he has done is perverted the cause of justice (as he did with his offspring) and any half-decent lawyer should have few problems arguing that Supoj cannot receive a fair trial - assuming he is brought to court.

It is indeed the pot & kettle as an earlier poster wrote.

[JohnAllan]

Strange how Chalerm, in such a short space of time, is so knowledgeable of the ins and outs of this issue.

And where did the Kensington connection suddenly come from? That IS where Thaksin has a house, I do believe; even if he can't use it. At a guess, in common with so many others - all of whom fail to appreciate the irony when challenged over Thai land laws - so does Chalerm. Perhaps his son and heir hid out there.

Edited November 29, 2011 by JohnAllan

[JohnAllan]

The Nation is a really interested newsletter. A real paper would have asked why a man that was instrumental to a illegal government that they have always supported has tens in millions of cash and from whom people say he had actually over 200 million in cash. It is not really important though, the Nation is not a serious newspaper at all they are the Royalist cheerleaders.

Improving your English grammar might help others to understand your point!

[whybother]

The Nation is a really interested newsletter. A real paper would have asked why a man that was instrumental to a illegal government that they have always supported has tens in millions of cash and from whom people say he had actually over 200 million in cash. It is not really important though, the Nation is not a serious newspaper at all they are the Royalist cheerleaders.

Improving your English grammar might help others to understand your point!

Maybe he learnt his English from The Nation, although I think he's moved above that level.

[nong38]

Are you trying to tell me that a Thai would/could buy a house outside of Thailand even though an English chap could not in Thailand, ghosh that sounds a bit of heads I win tails you lose to me, not really cricket is it. Surely they would not buy houses in England, they could claim asylum and get one free

[rubl]

I really have to save a few links on what Dept. PM Chalerm suggested, hinted at, show in a weeks time, etc., etc. Not that I have something against the nice chap, just wondering about consistency, interested in follow-up and so. With all the extra time k. Chalerm puts in very important issues like 'get back k. Thaksin' I'm surprised he still manages to be so 'detailed' in his accusations here. Obviously no one missed HIM during the worst flooding crisis in the last fifty years

BTW isn't it time to dig up the hundreds of missing red-shirts found in Rayong or is the area flooded?

[yoshiwara]

If only your Cambridge Deans could see you now. They'd be so proud of the way they'd taught you how to defend an argument. A strawman argument at that. Bravo!

Hinc lucem et pocula sacra

Dons not deans.Deans, for those who have no experience of elite universities, have responsibility for administration and are often clergymen.Dons are the academics.

If you have the slightest bit of evidence that Supoth lived within his salary, let's hear it.The onus of proof, given the prevalence of corruption in the Thai upper bureaucracy, is actually on the deniers such as yourself.

Or you can continue with personal invective and avoid the issue.

'Dons not deans. Deans for those who have no experience of elite universities...' Do I hear the echoes of 'pompous' and 'prig'. Quite amusing that a Thaksin apologist lined up with the 'we are against the Thai elite' crowd, parades his own elitism like a comfort blanket. For some lives that is about it really, so maybe expected. So, let me get this right, Sherlock, the fact that Chalerm is pushing for Thaksin to get an amnesty for money laundering has no bearing on his push to stick to to whoever re the current cash scandal? Maybe there is a thesis in the pipeline re this one.

Edited November 29, 2011 by yoshiwara

[webfact]

NACC gets 'useful information'

THE NATION

Anti-graft agency undertakes search of Suphoth's residence

A team from the national anti-graft agency yesterday searched the vast residence of suspended Transport permanent secretary Suphoth Sublom in connection with an investigation into possible irregularity.

Officials from the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) arrived at Suphoth's mansion in Bangkok's Wang Thonglang district at around 6.30am when they immediately began collecting pieces of evidence, said NACC assistant secretary Worawit Boonsuk.

He said the agency had obtained a search warrant from court, adding that local police were also involved in the search.

No media workers were allowed inside the compound during the search, which went on for several hours.

Suphoth's home has two detached buildings within an area of about seven rai (2.76 acres). About 10 luxury cars were parked inside the compound.

Worawit yesterday said "some useful information" was found during the search of the two buildings but he declined to discuss the matter in detail. He also said the NACC would summon Suphoth for further questioning soon.

The NACC yesterday sought to confiscate Bt18 million in cash allegedly robbed from Suphoth's home on the night of November 12, according to NACC member Preecha Lertkamolmas.

The anti-graft agency had earlier confiscated Bt15.9 million retrieved by police from the alleged robbers. Suphoth had reportedly told police that Bt5 million had been robbed in the heist. Preecha said yesterday that Suphoth would be summoned to explain about the source of his money.

Meanwhile, Tongthong Chandrangsu, who heads the Transport Ministry's fact-finding committee into Suphoth's case, said yesterday that his panel had obtained no special recommendation from Transport Minister Sukampol Suwannathat. He said the fact-finding team would summon Suphoth to defend himself against corruption allegations.

In a related development, the Senate committee on transport yesterday held an inquiry into Suphoth's case.

The panel's chairman, Senator Kecha Saksomboon, said senior police officers told the committee that all except three of the alleged robbers involved in the heist at Suphoth's home have been arrested. Police would question Suphoth again next week about the robbery.

Kecha said his panel would also summon representatives from the NACC and the Anti-Money Laundering Office, as well as Suphoth, as part of its inquiry into the alleged corruption.

Metropolitan Police commissioner Lt-General Winai Thongsong said yesterday that police had an appointment with Suphoth on December 7, when the Transport Ministry's suspended top bureaucrat was expected to explain about his money involved in the heist.

Winai said that police have confiscated Bt18 million from the alleged robbers and that the money was being kept at the Wang Thong Police Station. He added that the NACC would examine the confiscated cash with a written request.

The Metropolitan Police chief also dismissed as groundless a rumour that the alleged mastermind Virasak "Ko" Chualee, believed to be in hiding in Laos, had been arrested by Laotian police. He said Thai police were tracking down the fugitive believed to be in hiding near the Thai-Lao border.

-- The Nation 2011-11-30

[EyesWideOpen]

He [Chalerm] suggested people in the corruption ring normally won't conceal their graft money in their homes, but they will transfer it to countries where their finances are unlikely to be trailed.

He should know.

[otherstuff1957]

The Nation is a really interested newsletter. A real paper would have asked why a man that was instrumental to a illegal government that they have always supported has tens in millions of cash and from whom people say he had actually over 200 million in cash. It is not really important though, the Nation is not a serious newspaper at all they are the Royalist cheerleaders.

Which illegal government are you referring to? Supoth served under both TRT administrations, the Junta, PPP, the Democrats and now PT.

Perhaps you are referring to the first TRT government, which Thaksin should have been disqualified from leading when he tried to conceal his assets?

If you want to say that he was instrumental to a corrupt government, then you can refer to any of the above!

Personally, I suspect that there will be a lot of noise about this, but at some point, Chalerm will shut up and the case will disappear into the bowels of the Thai Justice system never to be seen again. Why do I say this? Simply because Supoth was not operating in a vacuum. If he was taking millions in kickbacks, some of that money was also finding its way to his superiors. If those superiors are all members of BJT or the Democrats, Chalerm and the police will gleefully pursue them, but some of those superiors will probably be influential people in TRT/PPP/PT. If they investigate his money closely enough, the trail will probably end up leading a bit too close to home!

[webfact]

Anti-graft Panel Freezes More Cash from Supoj's Burglary Case

The National Anti-Corruption Commission gave orders to freeze more cash seized in the burglary case of a former transport permanent secretary, bringing the total amount of seized money to 18.1 billion baht.

National Anti-Corruption Commission, or NACC, member Klanarong Chantik said in a press conference that the panel has resolved to freeze an additional 2.2 million baht in cash seized from suspects in the burglary case of former Transport Permanent-Secretary Supoj Saplom.

A total of 18.1 million baht has been frozen.

The NACC suspected that Supoj was unusually wealthy and he might have abused his position or falsified his asset declaration.

Klanarong added today that the subcommittee tasked with investigating the case has spent six hours searching through both of Supoj's houses on Ladprao 64 Road and received good cooperation from the former permanent secretary.

Officials seized financial and other documents that could be used as evidence in the case but did not find a lump sum of cash as alleged by the suspects.

He said the commission will call in Supoj to give further testimony.

-- Tan Network 2011-11-30

[Thaddeus]

Suphoth's home has two detached buildings within an area of about seven rai (2.76 acres). About 10 luxury cars were parked inside the compound.

-- The Nation 2011-11-30

The cars were there before or after the NACC arrived?

[Thaddeus]

Officials seized financial and other documents that could be used as evidence in the case but did not find a lump sum of cash as alleged by the suspects.

-- Tan Network 2011-11-30

Yeah, right, if it existed he was just going to leave it there for them to find wasn't he.

[rogerdee123]

I can think of at least one Thai politician, who has a nice home in London, hope that Deputy-PM Chalerm isn't suggesting that he used "ill-gotten gains" to buy the home or his (for a short time) football-club ?

And wasn't it supposed to be more than 10 times the "stolen Bt 18 million", which the burglars had taken, 'shome mistake here' ?

Ricardo, Thaksin was a billionaire BEFORE he got into politics. I am sure he could afford more than a few homes wherever he wanted.

Not so sure he was a billionnaire, but certainly quite rich enough to afford overseas homes, I would agree.

And all those suitcases (was it 130+ ?} which his family took with them, when leaving the country just after the coup, they just contained emergency-supplies of Ma-Ma, I'm sure. I mean, if they contained cash, wouldn't this have been required to be declared to Customs ?

Thaksin was perhaps a billionaire before becoming a politician.

However ....

When he started his telecom venture he partnered with an American who put up all the cash and expertise. I believe it was one of those protected industries reserved for majority Thai ownership. In any case, the former American partner did have legal suits pending in the USA against Thaksin for allegedly ripping him off ... it's a telecom version of one of those "Thai Company set up so a foreigner can buy a house" that went wrong type of stories. This was in the news when Thaksin first entered politics and has now disappeared from the scene .... was the claimant paid off? did the case make it to court ..... this is another interesting historical bit that deserves following up if anyone has the time.

So perhaps he has always been a crook ... I mean, after he graduated from being a Thai policeman.

[Scott]

An inflammatory post has been deleted along with an off-topic post.

Please stick to the topic.

[hammered]

If only your Cambridge Deans could see you now. They'd be so proud of the way they'd taught you how to defend an argument. A strawman argument at that. Bravo!

Hinc lucem et pocula sacra

Dons not deans.Deans, for those who have no experience of elite universities, have responsibility for administration and are often clergymen.Dons are the academics.

If you have the slightest bit of evidence that Supoth lived within his salary, let's hear it.The onus of proof, given the prevalence of corruption in the Thai upper bureaucracy, is actually on the deniers such as yourself.

Or you can continue with personal invective and avoid the issue.

I think the level of interest in this case among the ordinary Thai people is underestimated by those on this board. With people I know this was far bigger than the pardon (boring old red-yellow nonsense again) and the interest in seeing a (senior) member of the bureaucracy get at least publically humiliated even if it doesnt go anywhere (not many think it will) seems to appeal to people accustomed to being exploited by government officials, and lets not forget that while polticians can be puinished through the ballot box by people and publically harangued these days and while politicians do at least around election time and some other moments dish out some largesse, these things can never ever be said about government officials which may explain the interest in the case and the shear public enjoyment it seems of the squirming face loss.

[Oberkommando]

The NACC suspected that Supoj was unusually wealthy and he might have abused his position or falsified his asset declaration.

Probably both.

A total of 18.1 million baht has been frozen.

An astonishing amount of money.

[ballpoint]

I think the level of interest in this case among the ordinary Thai people is underestimated by those on this board. With people I know this was far bigger than the pardon (boring old red-yellow nonsense again) and the interest in seeing a (senior) member of the bureaucracy get at least publically humiliated even if it doesnt go anywhere (not many think it will) seems to appeal to people accustomed to being exploited by government officials, and lets not forget that while polticians can be puinished through the ballot box by people and publically harangued these days and while politicians do at least around election time and some other moments dish out some largesse, these things can never ever be said about government officials which may explain the interest in the case and the shear public enjoyment it seems of the squirming face loss.

The ordinary Thai people don't really give a dam_n. the ordinary Thai people are currently lining up along the roads outside the rice mills, trying to sell their crop for the government guaranteed price, only to be told the mill isn't buying, or is giving a fraction of the "guaranteed" price, and going home after sitting in line all day with 11 baht per kilo of long grain rice, or 15 baht per kilo of jasmine, when the government promised 15 and 20 baht per kilo respectively. I suggest you get out of your little micro red area of Chonburi and head upcountry to see the hardships the ordinary Thai people are facing.

[hammered]

I think the level of interest in this case among the ordinary Thai people is underestimated by those on this board. With people I know this was far bigger than the pardon (boring old red-yellow nonsense again) and the interest in seeing a (senior) member of the bureaucracy get at least publically humiliated even if it doesnt go anywhere (not many think it will) seems to appeal to people accustomed to being exploited by government officials, and lets not forget that while polticians can be puinished through the ballot box by people and publically harangued these days and while politicians do at least around election time and some other moments dish out some largesse, these things can never ever be said about government officials which may explain the interest in the case and the shear public enjoyment it seems of the squirming face loss.

The ordinary Thai people don't really give a dam_n. the ordinary Thai people are currently lining up along the roads outside the rice mills, trying to sell their crop for the government guaranteed price, only to be told the mill isn't buying, or is giving a fraction of the "guaranteed" price, and going home after sitting in line all day with 11 baht per kilo of long grain rice, or 15 baht per kilo of jasmine, when the government promised 15 and 20 baht per kilo respectively. I suggest you get out of your little micro red area of Chonburi and head upcountry to see the hardships the ordinary Thai people are facing.

Oh but I do and when I talk about those I know I include areas of rural lowe rnorth as well as a mix of working and middle class Chonburi. People do enjoy these things and discuss them and it isnt about red or yellow but about people. Of course peopel are facing hardships but that doesnt mean they dont discuss other things and it doesnt mean they are even going to mildly consider the Democrats as a better option even if their rice scheme encouraged not growing rice and just claiming what could be grown on the measured land if you were lucky enough to have the land papers in your own hand.

[rubl]

Oh but I do and when I talk about those I know I include areas of rural lowe rnorth as well as a mix of working and middle class Chonburi. People do enjoy these things and discuss them and it isnt about red or yellow but about people. Of course peopel are facing hardships but that doesnt mean they dont discuss other things and it doesnt mean they are even going to mildly consider the Democrats as a better option even if their rice scheme encouraged not growing rice and just claiming what could be grown on the measured land if you were lucky enough to have the land papers in your own hand.

So, to try to understand, dissect the last long sentence:

1- people facing hardships

2- facing hardships doesn't mean not discussing other things

3- facing hardships doesn't mean to even mildly consider the Dem's as better option

4- the Dem's rice scheme encourages not to grow rice

5- the Dem's rice scheme encourages 'just to claim what could be grown', but only in case you have the land papers

1 to 3 I can accept. 4 needs further explanation, with 5 an accusation which needs proof. IMHO