Court acquits accused firms over zero-dollar tours

[rooster59]

Court acquits accused firms over zero-dollar tours

By THE NATION

 

File photo

 

The Criminal Court yesterday threw out a major case allegedly involving “zero-dollar” tours, which made the headlines last year for supposedly causing massive financial damage to the country.

 

“There has been no evidence solid enough to convict the defendants on the charges levelled against them,” the court said. 

 

The 13 defendants included several members of the Rojrungrangsee family and various firms such as OA Transport, Royal Paradise, Bangkok Handicrafts, Royal Gems and Thai Herb. 

 

Public prosecutors had charged them with racketeering, money laundering and violating tourism and tour guide laws. 

 

The case came up at the time authorities launched a crackdown on tour operators that reportedly offered Chinese visitors free or very low-cost hotel and flight packages to Thailand but then lured them into buying overpriced souvenirs during the trips.

 

 

Public prosecutors said such deceptive tours had blemished Thailand’s image, causing at least Bt10 billion in damage. 

 

All defendants denied any wrongdoing and produced evidence to substantiate their claims of innocence. 

 

Based on the evidence, the court ruled that the defendants were not tour operators but just provided bus services and products to tour operators. 

 

These defendants were not the ones who brought the tourists from China. 

 

“Investigators never inspected the defendants’ shops or places of business,” the court noted. 

 

The defendants showed proof that they operated a fleet of more than 2,000 buses and ran shops before being arrested unfairly. 

 

All the defendants beamed upon hearing the verdict, but refused to give any interviews to the media when they left the courtroom. 

 

The Civil Court has already seized more than Bt3.6 billion of their assets with the intention to turn them into state property. Also in temporary custody are many of their buses.

 

The defendants, some of whom were prominent businessmen before the zero-dollar tour scandal broke, said they would hold a press conference on their next moves at a later time.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30324927

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-08-26

[inThailand]

Did the Chinese government negotiate this as part of the high speed trains and military toy agreements? 

[darksidedog]

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

The Civil Court has already seized more than Bt3.6 billion of their assets with the intention to turn them into state property. Also in temporary custody are many of their buses

Are these assets now going to be returned? This does show why the courts should wait for a guilty verdict before seizing property prematurely. I hope the people involved will now sue for damages, which might make the cops think twice before trying this sort of trick again.

[wakeupplease]

Causing at least Bt10 billion in damage.

 

Where the hell do these (I was going to say people but they aren't normal so cannot) get these figures from? Does 1+1=55 here? or is it 5555

[Srikcir]

4 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Are these assets now going to be returned?

Police seized 2,155 tour buses on or about when the arrest warrants were issued on October6, 2016 . http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2026095/thai-crackdown-zero-dollar-chinese-tours-hits-golden-week

Assets would have been transferred to the Anti-Money Laundering Office for public auction. I can't find that the buses were auctioned yet. Buses will probably be returned with the owners charged with storage fees. Operators will be lucky that major parts aren't "missing" from the buses.

 

[8OA8]

Are these assets now going to be returned? This does show why the courts should wait for a guilty verdict before seizing property prematurely. I hope the people involved will now sue for damages, which might make the cops think twice before trying this sort of trick again.

Like not waiting until the Yingluck verdict was announced before seizing her bank accounts?

Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk

[Ulic]

26 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

Police seized 2,155 tour buses on or about when the arrest warrants were issued on October6, 2016 . http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2026095/thai-crackdown-zero-dollar-chinese-tours-hits-golden-week

Assets would have been transferred to the Anti-Money Laundering Office for public auction. I can't find that the buses were auctioned yet. Buses will probably be returned with the owners charged with storage fees. Operators will be lucky that major parts aren't "missing" from the buses.

 

As far as I recall the busses and boats were all auctioned off.

[farcanell]

6 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Investigators never inspected the defendants’ shops or places of business,” the court noted. 

Truly sterling work by the BiB.... if I was a praying man, I would pray that this is followed by with a defamation case, if only to put the boot on the other foot. Maybe a government payout would serve to curb the stupidity.

[Cadbury]

6 hours ago, rooster59 said:

“Investigators never inspected...."

Are the RTP now euphemistically called "investigators" to try to keep the RTP's already dirty name out of the press? 

This whole incident seems like a badly failed RTP extortion attempt. This is what happens when totalitarian military governments get control of a country.

 

[Reigntax]

5 hours ago, wakeupplease said:

Causing at least Bt10 billion in damage.

 

Where the hell do these (I was going to say people but they aren't normal so cannot) get these figures from? Does 1+1=55 here? or is it 5555

 

You've just answered the hardest question on a Thai math exam and to graduate in Political Science

[4MyEgo]

Ballsed that one up didn't they, who is going to compensate the owners of the company for their losses, not us they will say, we are Thai's, not have !

[4MyEgo]

1 hour ago, 8OA8 said:

Like not waiting until the Yingluck verdict was announced before seizing her bank accounts?

Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk
 

Innocent until proven guilty, she has not had a verdict read yet, there you go again, "the horse has bolted before the cart", or is that Yingluck before the verdict ?

[TheThaiMe]

42 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

Innocent until proven guilty, she has not had a verdict read yet, there you go again, "the horse has bolted before the cart", or is that Yingluck before the verdict ?

Innocent until proven guilty - so strange that they would seize assets and make her pay billions before the verdict. Thai justice system at it's best.

 

I would hope that none of the assets in this case have been sold already.

[Kieranmc]

Slam dunk case - messed p by police and prosecutor - all involved must be removed from their positions immediately.

[inThailand]

17 hours ago, 8OA8 said:

Like not waiting until the Yingluck verdict was announced before seizing her bank accounts?

Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk
 

Yeah isn't funny how they can seem to grab the money before a verdict is even in, but have a problem doing anything else?

[hawker9000]

ROFL.   I guess zero-dollar tourists are finally starting to look better than zero tourists, eh?   Ah, Somchai, please put all that "quality tourist" stuff back in the storeroom for now, OK?

 

[greenchair]

On 8/26/2017 at 0:07 PM, Ulic said:

As far as I recall the busses and boats were all auctioned off.

Yes, it was all auctioned off to the Thai tour companies at a bargain I might add. The oag said it was too expensive to keep in storage. 

If I remember correctly, it was auctioned within a month or 2 of the arrest and the whole family was locked up. 

What will the family do next. 

This will be interesting. 

[quadperfect]

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