NACC seeks to seize Somsak's undeclared Bt16m house

[Lite Beer]

NACC seeks to seize Somsak's undeclared Bt16m house
THE NATION

FORMER MINISTER DECLARED 'UNUSUALLY WEALTHY'; CLAIMS VOTE NOT UNANIMOUS

THE ANTI-GRAFT agency has resolved to seek a Supreme Court ruling allowing it to seize a Bt16-million house owned by former education minister Somsak Prissananantakul that he failed to report when submitting his financial statements.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) concluded that Somsak was unusually rich and that public prosecutors should take the case to the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions so that this asset is seized.

NACC secretary-general Sansern Poljieak said yesterday that the commission resolved in a majority vote of 6-3 to declare Somsak unusually wealthy.

The politician allegedly built this house in Angthong's Wiset Chai Chan district and chose not to declare it as an asset while he was in office.

Somsak is a key figure in the Chart Thai Pattana Party.

Long-term building

Construction of the house in Phai Jamsin sub-district began in 1998, when Somsak was deputy education minister, and was concluded when he became education minister in 2011.

Sansern added that the former minister had so far failed to convince the NACC that this property was acquired honestly.

The anti-graft panel has asked the Office of the Attorney General to submit a petition with the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions seeking to have the property seized, he said.

In a related development, NACC deputy secretary-general Worawit Sukbun said Somsak's case was a civilian one, hence the punishment would not include imprisonment.

Meanwhile, Somsak yesterday cancelled a press conference he had scheduled for Monday to explain this issue, noting that the NACC's decision had not been unanimous.

"As a politician of a democratic society, I respect the commission's votes for or against the decision [to have the house seized]. However, the process has not ended yet and will continue in court," he said.

In 2011, the anti-graft panel resolved the case by declaring that Somsak had concealed the Bt16-million house and some savings held by himself and his wife when declaring his assets.

Under both the 2007 Constitution abolished by the junta and the new draft charter, persons declared by a court to be "unusually wealthy" are prohibited from contesting an election.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/NACC-seeks-to-seize-Somsaks-undeclared-Bt16m-house-30261283.html

-- The Nation 2015-05-30

[Thaddeus]

Meanwhile, Somsak yesterday cancelled a press conference he had scheduled for Monday to explain this issue, noting that the NACC's decision had not been unanimous.

And that means what exactly, one of them took your envelope?

[WitawatWatawit]

n a related development, NACC deputy secretary-general Worawit Sukbun said Somsak's case was a civilian one, hence the punishment would not include imprisonment.

Huh???

[deckape]

FORMER MINISTER DECLARED 'UNUSUALLY WEALTHY';

I am a home theater enthusiast, on a budget. I went to a shop in BKK to try and source rigid fiberglass insulation for sound absorption panels.

They sell 600,000 THB speakers at this shop. I asked the guy if he meets a lot of captains of industry. He said yes, and a lot of "big Police and Generals". Hmmm...

[kaorop]

"Unusually wealthy"

Well if the precedent gets set, there should be quite a few thousand in that firing line,

But who am i kidding?

[Daniel Boon]

If it wasn't declared, then he shouldn't miss it

[quandow]

So THAT'S where all that education money has been going. Keep digging, anti-graft agency, you're going in the right direction!

[Nickymaster]

An honest mistake...again? Happens a lot with Thai politicians.

[halloween]

"Unusually wealthy"

Well if the precedent gets set, there should be quite a few thousand in that firing line,

But who am i kidding?

Do you know why they call the young girls working at the White House "interns"? Because Bill Clinton couldn't shag them all at once.

One at a time, one after the other is the way to get there.

[tigermonkey]

One question which I have never seen answered. After someone falls out of favour and has their assets seized, what happens ? Does someone else suddenly become 'unusually wealthy', or is there a a legitimate and transparent process to restore these assets to their rightful place?

Edited May 30, 2015 by tigermonkey

[waitforusalso]

Thailand’s military leader and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has refused to elaborate on the 600 million baht land sale he made to a private company last year.

According to documents from Gen. Prayuth’s asset declaration Col Prapat Chan-o-cha, Gen Prayut’s father, sold nine plots totalling 50 rai in Bangkok’s Bang Bon district to 69 Property Co Ltd on May 9, 2013, seven days after the company was registered, according to Isara News Agency, which quoted official documents.

The major shareholder of the company when the deal took place had a British Virgin Islands address, Isara News said
,

[JAG]

One question which I have never seen answered. After someone falls out of favour and has their assets seized, what happens ? Does someone else suddenly 'unusually wealthy', or is there a a legitimate and transparent process to restore these assets to their rightful place?

Oh I expect there is a blinding flash of light, a loud clap of thunder, and the head honcho of those seizing the assets is suddenly struck "unusually wealthy"!

[JAG]

Thailand’s military leader and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has refused to elaborate on the 600 million baht land sale he made to a private company last year.

According to documents from Gen. Prayuth’s asset declaration Col Prapat Chan-o-cha, Gen Prayut’s father, sold nine plots totalling 50 rai in Bangkok’s Bang Bon district to 69 Property Co Ltd on May 9, 2013, seven days after the company was registered, according to Isara News Agency, which quoted official documents.

The major shareholder of the company when the deal took place had a British Virgin Islands address, Isara News said

,

He is probably not unusually wealthy - by comparison with his peers...

[stevepompey]

Another bastard who should be hung by his buster browns.

Education a joke in this country starting from people like him.

[waitforusalso]

Thailand’s military leader and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has refused to elaborate on the 600 million baht land sale he made to a private company last year.

According to documents from Gen. Prayuth’s asset declaration Col Prapat Chan-o-cha, Gen Prayut’s father, sold nine plots totalling 50 rai in Bangkok’s Bang Bon district to 69 Property Co Ltd on May 9, 2013, seven days after the company was registered, according to Isara News Agency, which quoted official documents.

The major shareholder of the company when the deal took place had a British Virgin Islands address, Isara News said

,

He is probably not unusually wealthy - by comparison with his peers...

If Thaksin had done this exact same deal, the yellow NACC would have had it in court faster than a rat up a Klong Toei drainpipe.

[cocopops]

How wealthy is the guy? Building a single house worth half a million dollars over 13 years does not, in and of itself, seem extraordinary.

We may not like them, but anybody who becomes deputy leader of a major political party must have, to say the least, some people-skills. There's no reason to believe he wouldn't have made some savvy business decisions over the years.

On the surface, other circumstances mentioned in this thread seem much more worthy of investigation.

[EnglishJohn]

Thailand’s military leader and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has refused to elaborate on the 600 million baht land sale he made to a private company last year.

According to documents from Gen. Prayuth’s asset declaration Col Prapat Chan-o-cha, Gen Prayut’s father, sold nine plots totalling 50 rai in Bangkok’s Bang Bon district to 69 Property Co Ltd on May 9, 2013, seven days after the company was registered, according to Isara News Agency, which quoted official documents.

The major shareholder of the company when the deal took place had a British Virgin Islands address, Isara News said

,

He is probably not unusually wealthy - by comparison with his peers...

If Thaksin had done this exact same deal, the yellow NACC would have had it in court faster than a rat up a Klong Toei drainpipe.

So what's your point ?. That he should not be prosecuted because Prayuth's father sold some land and formed a company for the money to go into?. That sounds normal to me : you can then use the money for other business or take out as income and pay the tax on it.

Or are you just regurgitating propaganda you keep reading on some red-shirt website somewhere ?.

You have some spit on your chin after the rant : wipe it off.

[EnglishJohn]

How wealthy is the guy? Building a single house worth half a million dollars over 13 years does not, in and of itself, seem extraordinary.

We may not like them, but anybody who becomes deputy leader of a major political party must have, to say the least, some people-skills. There's no reason to believe he wouldn't have made some savvy business decisions over the years.

On the surface, other circumstances mentioned in this thread seem much more worthy of investigation.

Seems like you missed the point : I'll explain it in simple terms for you:

He deliberately hid this house from his declared assets and cannot explain where the money came from to buy it.

[waitforusalso]

Thailand’s military leader and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has refused to elaborate on the 600 million baht land sale he made to a private company last year.

According to documents from Gen. Prayuth’s asset declaration Col Prapat Chan-o-cha, Gen Prayut’s father, sold nine plots totalling 50 rai in Bangkok’s Bang Bon district to 69 Property Co Ltd on May 9, 2013, seven days after the company was registered, according to Isara News Agency, which quoted official documents.

The major shareholder of the company when the deal took place had a British Virgin Islands address, Isara News said

,

He is probably not unusually wealthy - by comparison with his peers...

If Thaksin had done this exact same deal, the yellow NACC would have had it in court faster than a rat up a Klong Toei drainpipe.

So what's your point ?. That he should not be prosecuted because Prayuth's father sold some land and formed a company for the money to go into?. That sounds normal to me : you can then use the money for other business or take out as income and pay the tax on it.

Or are you just regurgitating propaganda you keep reading on some red-shirt website somewhere ?.

You have some spit on your chin after the rant : wipe it off.

Transferring the money to a company set up 7 days earlier in a renowned tax haven. Very legit!

Maybe you can't see clearly because your tongue is stuck so far up the general's backside.

[Nobb]

Give up the house and not got to jail. He obtained the money for the by bribes and scams. No jail term only in Thailand.

[cocopops]

How wealthy is the guy? Building a single house worth half a million dollars over 13 years does not, in and of itself, seem extraordinary.

We may not like them, but anybody who becomes deputy leader of a major political party must have, to say the least, some people-skills. There's no reason to believe he wouldn't have made some savvy business decisions over the years.

On the surface, other circumstances mentioned in this thread seem much more worthy of investigation.

Seems like you missed the point : I'll explain it in simple terms for you:

He deliberately hid this house from his declared assets and cannot explain where the money came from to buy it.

That he could not explain how he paid for his house to the satisfaction of the NACC I understood. But thanks for the confirmation in simple terms.

But I would still like to know how wealthy he is, and how wealthy you need to be to be convicted of possessing unusual wealth.

Owning a $500,000 house is hardly an exceptional thing - it's probably true of 1 in 5 people who pass through Suvarnibhumi on any given day. Since that on it's own could not possibly have attracted attention, there must be a lot more, no? Where could one find out about that?

[Mister Fixit]

Owning a $500,000 house is a VERY big thing in Thailand - there's not too many people about who can afford a 16,000,000 baht house - and that's only ONE of the houses he has, if I read this correctly.

Edited May 30, 2015 by Mister Fixit

[bimmerbob]

FORMER MINISTER DECLARED 'UNUSUALLY WEALTHY';

I am a home theater enthusiast, on a budget. I went to a shop in BKK to try and source rigid fiberglass insulation for sound absorption panels.

They sell 600,000 THB speakers at this shop. I asked the guy if he meets a lot of captains of industry. He said yes, and a lot of "big Police and Generals". Hmmm...

....they should also look into the Ferrari Owners Club of Thailand and validate the means and source of the cars owned.........heard somewhere that 90% of members are attached to the police farce.....

[Lite Beer]

NACC wants Somsak's home seized promptly
THE SUNDAY NATION

BANGKOK: -- The National Anti-Corruption Commission will in two weeks submit a case to the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders calling for confiscation of the Bt16-million home of former education minister Somsak Prissanananthakul, said NACC president Panthep Klanarongran yesterday.

The NACC members had previously voted 6-3 to submit the case as they believed Somsak was unable to clearly explain how he could afford building a house in Angthong's Wiset Chair Chan district in 1998.

They found the former deputy education minister to be "unusually rich".

Somsak has previously been disqualified from politics for five years for asset concealment.

NACC secretary-general Sansern Polchiak said the NACC would ask the Office of the Attorney-General to charge Somsak in the Supreme Court's Criminal Tribunal for Holders of Political Office.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/NACC-wants-Somsaks-home-seized-promptly-30261312.html

-- The Nation 2015-05-31

[whatawonderfulday]

The general and his cronies are really working overtime on reconciliation aren't they ?

For the current crop of country economical rapists reconciliation means returning the massive skim offs undertaken by the Shinawatra regime so that they may skim it themselves. After all the General and his Elite supporters have been deprived of these massive skims for 12 years now so they have a lot to make up. When the countries Elite have been economically raping and pillaging this country to make themselves some of the wealthiest in the world since 1932, I guess this sort of theft from the nation becomes almost the norm and as we have seen from the 2 last coups, the Elite are not going to be stopped without a fight. or in this case not whilst they still have military support. Only time will tell how long this will prevail.

Meantime good General, you are always croaking about Thailand being shown in bad light to the rest of the world. Then could I suggest you firstly look in the mirror and secondly perhaps make plans for living in N. Korea "just in case" things go very badly wrong for you. Mind you Somalia may be worth consideration as it tops the list of the most corrupt countries. You should have a ball there.

[mikemac]

The general and his cronies are really working overtime on reconciliation aren't they ?

For the current crop of country economical rapists reconciliation means returning the massive skim offs undertaken by the Shinawatra regime so that they may skim it themselves. After all the General and his Elite supporters have been deprived of these massive skims for 12 years now so they have a lot to make up. When the countries Elite have been economically raping and pillaging this country to make themselves some of the wealthiest in the world since 1932, I guess this sort of theft from the nation becomes almost the norm and as we have seen from the 2 last coups, the Elite are not going to be stopped without a fight. or in this case not whilst they still have military support. Only time will tell how long this will prevail.

Meantime good General, you are always croaking about Thailand being shown in bad light to the rest of the world. Then could I suggest you firstly look in the mirror and secondly perhaps make plans for living in N. Korea "just in case" things go very badly wrong for you. Mind you Somalia may be worth consideration as it tops the list of the most corrupt countries. You should have a ball there.

So the junta-bashing rule does not exist anymore. The above post is proof of that.

[otherstuff1957]

My wife's father worked for the Thai government. He wasn't one of these wealthy undersecretaries, he was just a Malaria Control Officer for the MOH. He prided himself on his honesty and integrity and never took a penny that he didn't honestly earn.

Needless to say, he lived and died a poor man.

[EnglishJohn]

The general and his cronies are really working overtime on reconciliation aren't they ?

For the current crop of country economical rapists reconciliation means returning the massive skim offs undertaken by the Shinawatra regime so that they may skim it themselves. After all the General and his Elite supporters have been deprived of these massive skims for 12 years now so they have a lot to make up. When the countries Elite have been economically raping and pillaging this country to make themselves some of the wealthiest in the world since 1932, I guess this sort of theft from the nation becomes almost the norm and as we have seen from the 2 last coups, the Elite are not going to be stopped without a fight. or in this case not whilst they still have military support. Only time will tell how long this will prevail.

Meantime good General, you are always croaking about Thailand being shown in bad light to the rest of the world. Then could I suggest you firstly look in the mirror and secondly perhaps make plans for living in N. Korea "just in case" things go very badly wrong for you. Mind you Somalia may be worth consideration as it tops the list of the most corrupt countries. You should have a ball there.

Ha ha ha - one more red-shirt veiled threat wrapped in the rhetoric of the truly ignorant.

Did you notice yet how your leaders only give you a prod when they need something for themselves - to intimidate judges or murder protestors and cling on to power ?.

Where are they now ?. I'll tell you : waiting for orders and some money from the boss. Then you will get another free party and short holiday while they tell you again how they will make you rich one day.

[maidee]

the people who voted against taking his house, might just have the same button on the head

[jackanapes]

I wonder how many people would actually come into this category of not declaring all their assets there must be a helluva lot in Thailand firstly we check the police then we work our way up the ladder until we get to the top shall we say covering a 25 year period and we must include the royalist elite where did their wealth come from .