Civil Court finds Supodh guilty of being 'unusually rich'

[FLHR]

Another Thaksin man found guilty.

This is exactly why Bangkok should be shutdown.

To remove Thaksin.

No Thaksin, no corruption.

Wow, that's great! The population here can be assured the protest leader, the dems & their "elites" chain of command is 100% corruption free, squeaky clean. No need to look into their pasts & current practices.

[JRSoul]

I have come to reallly appreciate judicial system in Thailand - unlike any other in a democratic country. The court finds that it is "irregular" for Spuodh to have so much wealth and, thus, guilty of being "unusually rich." But it has no evidence or probable cause that his wealth was from any criminal activity. Maybe he is lucky at gambling. On the other hand the Court rejects any offered testimony from witnesses presented by Supodh because "their testimonies did not carry enough weight without strong evidence." If the prosecution doesn't produce any evidence, why does the defense have to produce any evidence? This sounds like a "guilty until proven innocent." Clearly not a judicial concept in a democratic society.

In almost every country, citizens are required to declare income and pay tax on it. This man has had an increase in wealth far beyond his reported income and can not explain its source, therefore it is reasonable to assume it was acquired illegally. Gambling is illegal in Thailand, as is crossing borders with large sums of undeclared currency.

This civil case has removed the wealth, the criminal case for evading tax should follow.

The witnesses could not prove their claim that the assets were theirs. Normally they would be charged with perjury, except for the Yingluk precedent.

[airconsult]

Is this the same guy who's house was burgled a few years back and 20 million baht stolen from under the mattress?

Yes. It will be interesting to see if he appeals and the whole matter & judgement quietly disappears. Of course another modus operandi is to transfer his funds (mysteriously unfrozen) & move overseas the until the Statute of Limitations kicks in

All my thai family thought that would happen too - reaching almost the highest post in civil service they *knew* he was untouchable.

Saying they are surprised now is an understatement. Thailand is changing. And that's not a bad thing.

(However since several were governors watching the bkk based ministries absorb all the money they are quietly amused.)

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[airconsult]

I have come to reallly appreciate judicial system in Thailand - unlike any other in a democratic country. The court finds that it is "irregular" for Spuodh to have so much wealth and, thus, guilty of being "unusually rich." But it has no evidence or probable cause that his wealth was from any criminal activity. Maybe he is lucky at gambling. On the other hand the Court rejects any offered testimony from witnesses presented by Supodh because "their testimonies did not carry enough weight without strong evidence." If the prosecution doesn't produce any evidence, why does the defense have to produce any evidence? This sounds like a "guilty until proven innocent." Clearly not a judicial concept in a democratic society.

In almost every country, citizens are required to declare income and pay tax on it. This man has had an increase in wealth far beyond his reported income and can not explain its source, therefore it is reasonable to assume it was acquired illegally. Gambling is illegal in Thailand, as is crossing borders with large sums of undeclared currency.

This civil case has removed the wealth, the criminal case for evading tax should follow.

The witnesses could not prove their claim that the assets were theirs. Normally they would be charged with perjury, except for the Yingluk precedent.

The op is correct - except for the NACC and PACC. As anti-corruption investigators they assume unless ot can be documented it is illegal.

They then recommend their findings to the court. Since Thaksin formed the NACC, the court has always followed it's recommendations and evidence.

The only thing that's confused me here is I thought the nacc was only for political office-holders. The pacc is for the rest. For some reason the nacc decided that the permanent secretary of transport was really a political appointment.

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Ozymandias]

Another one to bite the dust.....many more to come.

Please, do not forget to vote for PTP on Sunday

You are either incredibly naive or disingenuous if you are implying that this kind of nefarious nest-building corruption is limited to one particular party. Have you never read Suthep's back history (Dems) or Banhaan Silp-Archa's (Chart Thai Pattana)? They have consistently used politics as a tool to extend their influence and increase their bank balances and are an absolute disgrace to the concept of politicians as public servants. The very fact that Suthep is leading a movement centred on fighting corruption is typical of the hypocrisy that permeates this country's political culture.

By supporting one lot of vultures over another, you legitimise the practice of corruption itself. If you understand this and continue these kinds of posts, then you are basically saying 'but these are MY vultures'.

[PPEist]

Why aren't there criminal proceedings against him?

[lunar horse]

Why aren't there criminal proceedings against him?

he's only the bag man

[JulesMad]

.....guilty of being unusually rich..... I want to be guilty too

I am definitely guilty of being unusually poor! Can I get some money now, please? If we share 50/50, we would be both just usually rich (which is fine by me)

[DGIE]

One down umteen to go. Maybe the civil courts can get the farmerS their rice money.

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

not enough but at least there should be partial payment to the farmers

[DGIE]

To counter corruption it would be nice if there was an institute filled with the current opposition that could investigate the current government.

It is the institute of Suthep

[tx22cb]

Is this the same guy who's house was burgled a few years back and 20 million baht stolen from under the mattress?

Yes, same guy.

Reminds me of an incident from my neck of the woods.

In 2005, FBI found $90,000 cash in a frreezer of a Democrat congressman in LA.

In 2009, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison.

'Murica - best justice money can buy!

[MobileContent]

Another democrats bites the dust... As I said before the Democrats and the PTP take money in the same way. The different is only that the PTP doesn't feed the Bangkok elite. If they would they, would be just fine and their would be no demonstrations. Thaksin made that mistake and so does Yingluck. Leaving out the Bangkok elite spells out the end for the PTP.

[robblok]

To counter corruption it would be nice if there was an institute filled with the current opposition that could investigate the current government.

It is the institute of Suthep

Maybe.. but if the democrats are power i would welcome the institute of Taksin. I believe in balance and I believe the opposition would do their best to reveal it. Now these institutes are powerless.

But sorry for wanting all corruption attacked and sorry that your favorite party is now the target.

[tingtongteesood]

Only 46 million, a mere drop in the ocean of PT graft. Let's hope every last one of them is dealt with in the same manner and stripped of assets they can't account for, put it all back into the treasury and let the country improve it's infrastructure.

And before you red sheeple start with the old 'I bet Suteb is worse' I am in favour of EVERY politician from all parties coming under the same scrutiny, and on an annual basis. The numbers should be between the MP and the courts but if there are any anomolies then they should all be investigated and when found guilty should be publicly named and shamed and banned from politics FOR LIFE..

NOW THIS is almost as important to any democracy as the vote, you have to know that your tax money is actually being used for the good of the country, this is part of those 'checks and balances' you keep hearing about that PT for obvious reasons are so desperate not to let happen..

[americaninbangkok]

"The court noted that Supodh's two daughters had also continued to study abroad after they both received bachelor's degrees in Thailand. The cost of their schooling should have caused Supodh's assets to dwindle rather than increase, the court noted."

No sh#t Sherlock!

It took the NACC two years to find a calculator and understand basic accounting?!

[whybother]

Another democrats bites the dust... As I said before the Democrats and the PTP take money in the same way. The different is only that the PTP doesn't feed the Bangkok elite. If they would they, would be just fine and their would be no demonstrations. Thaksin made that mistake and so does Yingluck. Leaving out the Bangkok elite spells out the end for the PTP.

He's not a Democrat.

[thailandbeachisland]

Thailand is not so safe anymore !

[samuidave]

Would this guy be covered by the amnesty ? if the amnesty still goes through will he get his money back ?

NOT directing this at you personally, but how can anyone hold democracy in one hand and amnesty in the other?

Sounds an awful lot like how the Allies got around their signed international pact to outlaw all warfare under the Kellogg-Briand agreement in order to exonerate themselves from their own war crimes.

[Thai at Heart]

Is this the same guy who's house was burgled a few years back and 20 million baht stolen from under the mattress?

Yes. It will be interesting to see if he appeals and the whole matter & judgement quietly disappears. Of course another modus operandi is to transfer his funds (mysteriously unfrozen) & move overseas the until the Statute of Limitations kicks in

He will probably sue for defamation....

[Thai at Heart]

"The court noted that Supodh's two daughters had also continued to study abroad after they both received bachelor's degrees in Thailand. The cost of their schooling should have caused Supodh's assets to dwindle rather than increase, the court noted."

No sh#t Sherlock!

It took the NACC two years to find a calculator and understand basic accounting?!

Thing is, the numbers aren't 10k USD here or there.. It is in the millions. How many of us would say no on principal?

Millions of USD, hmmmmm.

[samuidave]

Another Thaksin man found guilty.

This is exactly why Bangkok should be shutdown.

To remove Thaksin.

No Thaksin, no corruption.

Sorry, but a little naive. Corruption lies at every level of Government and corruption in Thailand actually fell to its lowest in decades whilst Thaksin was in power and rose again AFTER the coup once the Democrats came into power. Just look at Suthep's less than clean track record on wikipeadia (and that's just a few of his scandals) - and these all so 'intelligent' southerners (as opposed to the apparently simple northerners) want to give HIM absolute power.

Just because the corruption is in a different form under Thaksin, doesn't mean it isn't going on just as rampantly.

Thaksin centralized his powers of state, and in the process cut out a lot of the smaller fish who use to collect. Now the crimes stay under less scrutiny because they are hidden in the upper echelons of government, and not at the village level so much.

Under Thaksin, the carrot has been the murky populist policies which indebted the people (which always fed money back to the Thaksin clan and upper reaches of government) in exchange for votes. The stick was with Thaksin saying explicitly that if you do not vote for him, your areas will have to get in line behind those who do any you may be cut right out. So like all forms of credit, people are stoked getting the money but repaying it isn't so glamourous. But all debts eventually become due, and now the people are just beginning to feel the crunch of their monetary slavery.

A comprehensive understanding of the principles is easy to obtain if one is bothered to look at how power, politics and propaganda work. Most simply aren't and so their arguments miss the target completely.

[samuidave]

I have come to reallly appreciate judicial system in Thailand - unlike any other in a democratic country. The court finds that it is "irregular" for Spuodh to have so much wealth and, thus, guilty of being "unusually rich." But it has no evidence or probable cause that his wealth was from any criminal activity. Maybe he is lucky at gambling. On the other hand the Court rejects any offered testimony from witnesses presented by Supodh because "their testimonies did not carry enough weight without strong evidence." If the prosecution doesn't produce any evidence, why does the defense have to produce any evidence? This sounds like a "guilty until proven innocent." Clearly not a judicial concept in a democratic society.

If he was lucky at the lottery, there would still be a paper trail. Or are you not familiar with the necessity of accounting for income and expenses in this bank-driven world?

Stop protecting the guilty who are unable to explain the unusual fruits of their behaviour. What explanation do you think he can offer for this money that any sane person could accept as plausible?

You clearly know nothing about jurisprudence.

[Thai at Heart]

I have come to reallly appreciate judicial system in Thailand - unlike any other in a democratic country. The court finds that it is "irregular" for Spuodh to have so much wealth and, thus, guilty of being "unusually rich." But it has no evidence or probable cause that his wealth was from any criminal activity. Maybe he is lucky at gambling. On the other hand the Court rejects any offered testimony from witnesses presented by Supodh because "their testimonies did not carry enough weight without strong evidence." If the prosecution doesn't produce any evidence, why does the defense have to produce any evidence? This sounds like a "guilty until proven innocent." Clearly not a judicial concept in a democratic society.

If he was lucky at the lottery, there would still be a paper trail. Or are you not familiar with the necessity of accounting for income and expenses in this bank-driven world?

Stop protecting the guilty who are unable to explain the unusual fruits of their behaviour. What explanation do you think he can offer for this money that any sane person could accept as plausible?

You clearly know nothing about jurisprudence.

I would love to think that the British tax man would be accommodating too.

The guy has a salary of X and he has wealth of 100,000 x

And the rickirs thinks that the authorities should just let u claim it fell from the sky?

[wprime]

Another democrats bites the dust... As I said before the Democrats and the PTP take money in the same way. The different is only that the PTP doesn't feed the Bangkok elite. If they would they, would be just fine and their would be no demonstrations. Thaksin made that mistake and so does Yingluck. Leaving out the Bangkok elite spells out the end for the PTP.

Thaksin was feeding the elites, that's how he gained so much power in the first place. Read the American intelligence reports that WIkileaks released.