A lawyer for Thailand's ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra has vowed to fight any criminal charges brought against his family, after military-appointed investigators accused his wife of tax evasion.
A powerful team of graft-busters appointed by Thailand's junta recommended that prosecutors charge Thaksin's wife Pojaman Shinawatra, her step-brother and her personal secretary with tax evasion.
If convicted on the charges, which are unrelated to the controversial sale last year of telecom giant Shin Corp, each could end up in prison for up to seven years.
Thaksin's lawyer, Noppadon Pattama, vowed to fight what he said were politically motivated charges against the family.
"The committee has tried to accuse people close to the ex-premier. They are from the military junta and we are not sure if their investigation met proper standards," Noppadon said.
He said Thaksin's family never expected to face criminal charges over an offence normally settled with a fine.
"We have prepared a legal team to fight the charges all the way to the top court," Noppadon said.
The tax evasion charges stem from a 1997 deal in which Pojaman and her step-brother, Banpot Damapong, sold 4.5 million shares in the family's Shinawatra Computer and Communication Company, which later became Shin Corp.
Authorities earlier ordered Banpot to pay 546 million baht (15.7 million dollars) in fines and back taxes on the 738-million-baht share sale. He has already paid the fine while he lodges an appeal.
Investigators "unanimously agreed that they committed clear wrongdoing based on the evidence that we have," said Klanarong Chantik, a key member of the junta's Assets Examination Committee (AEC).
The panel, which was set up by the junta shortly after the September coup that ousted Thaksin, was expected to formally refer the case to prosecutors within days, he added.
The case pre-dates Thaksin's five years as prime minister, which began in 2001, and leaves untouched the meatiest allegations of wrongdoing in the 3.8 billion dollar purchase of Shin Corp by Singapore's Temasek Holdings last year.
Thaksin's family made 1.9 billion dollars in cash off the tax-free deal, sparking street protests that precipitated the coup.
The military staged the takeover saying that it would clean up alleged corruption under Thaksin's government, and has come under mounting criticism for the slow pace of its investigations.
Political analyst Panitan Wattanayagorn said investigators chose to tackle Pojaman's relatively small share sale first because the issues were more clear-cut than in the complex Shin Corp deal.
"The violation of the tax law is quite clear in this case," Panitan said. "It is expected to go forward quite rapidly."
The AEC's Klanarong said that more charges in other cases were expected to be filed by late March.
"Most cases have progressed and are on track to reach a conclusion, possibly in the next two months," he said.
The junta's investigators also hope a conviction against one of Thaksin's relatives on one of the lesser charges will make it easier to build a case against the former prime minister himself, Panitan added.
Two of Thaksin's three children are also under investigation over the Shin Corp deal, and have already testified to the panel.
Thaksin himself has not returned to Thailand since the coup, staying first in London and now hopping around Asia. He is currently in Australia where he says he wants to buy a house.
But his wife Pojaman is currently in Thailand, as are at least two of his children.
Thai junta moves to bring Thaksin's family to court
This was confirmed in last weeks Perth weekend papers. Only problem is that no one will divulge where he actually is over here.Thaksin himself has not returned to Thailand since the coup, staying first in London and now hopping around Asia. He is currently in Australia where he says he wants to buy a house
Always Borrow Money from a Pesimist. "They Never Expect it Back"
Melbourne, per the Thai news 3-4 days ago. Don't know if that's where he wants to settle, but Thai news also said he has applied for residency. I think Melbourne is close to Canberra, therefore good bet he is around there talking to immigration people.
I don't know if he's a cold or hot weather guy. If I had to bet, I would think somewhere in Queensland for his house. Pete
I don't know if he's a cold or hot weather guy. If I had to bet, I would think somewhere in Queensland for his house. Pete
Last edited by PeteC on Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
After the last coup,or was it the one before that , one of the losing generals ended up in a the remote regional city of Geraldton here in West Australia . He was supposed to have bought up a bunch of property in the region with the local Chinese-Vietnamese market growers and sorted out some deals with the local shipping agents to export into Singapore.
Wonder if Mr. T. may have him on his call on list?
Wonder if Mr. T. may have him on his call on list?
Complexity is so simply overrated
Apparently he is looking for a house in Sydney:
"I am looking in the eastern suburbs for a property with good views of the (Sydney) harbour," Mr Thaksin told the Australian newspaper.
"I think Sydney is very safe and I have friends here," he said.
"I like Australia. The people are friendly and sincere. The weather is good. It is clean and safe and I can play golf all year round. In a way, I am grateful to the military government for forcing me into an early retirement, so that I can spend time with my family again," he told the paper.
"I am looking in the eastern suburbs for a property with good views of the (Sydney) harbour," Mr Thaksin told the Australian newspaper.
"I think Sydney is very safe and I have friends here," he said.
"I like Australia. The people are friendly and sincere. The weather is good. It is clean and safe and I can play golf all year round. In a way, I am grateful to the military government for forcing me into an early retirement, so that I can spend time with my family again," he told the paper.
A committee probing allegations of financial wrongdoing during the administration of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra ruled Monday that two of his children owed 10.6 billion baht ($327 million) in back taxes.
The Assets Examination Committee, established after Thaksin was deposed in a bloodless coup last September, directed the Revenue Department to collect the unpaid taxes from the former leader's daughter Pintongta and son Phantongtae, said Viroj Lohaphan, a committee member.
The tax bill, due this week, stems from the 2006 sale of family-controlled telecom conglomerate Shin Corp to Singapore's Temasek Holdings.
"We insist that there is no tax burden in this case," Noppadol Patama, Thaksin's lawyer and de facto spokesman in Thailand, told The Associated Press by telephone. He said the two had filed tax returns but did not include the sale because there was nothing to declare.
"The transaction was carried out overseas in Singapore and the sale of Shin Corp was a transaction done in the stock market and hence exempt from capital gains tax," he said.
The committee and other government agencies are probing several allegedly corrupt deals undertaken by Thaksin, his family and colleagues. However, none has yet come to trial, even though corruption was one of the excuse for staging the coup. The investigation have been criticized by both Thaksin and his critics.
"We will have to fight till the end on this," said Noppadol, describing Monday's ruling as "a self-serving attempt to distort the law" in order to show that the committee was making progress.
The shares in telecoms conglomerate Shin Corp had belonged to Ample Rich, a holding company owned by the two adult children. Shin Corp was sold in January last year to the Singapore state firm Temasek Holdings for 73.3 billion baht ($2.3 billion, at current rates of exchange).
The sale drew a firestorm of criticism because it was structured to avoid taxes and because it involved the sale of what many people characterized as strategic national communications assets. The protests that followed the sale caused political turbulence that led to Thaksin's ouster.
Thaksin was a telecommunications tycoon who became one of the country's richest men before entering politics and becoming prime minister in 2001.
The transaction was made when he was still in power, and before he was ousted the Revenue Department had ruled that taxes did not need to be paid on the deal, a stance it reversed after the coup.
Copyright 2007 Associated Press.
The Assets Examination Committee, established after Thaksin was deposed in a bloodless coup last September, directed the Revenue Department to collect the unpaid taxes from the former leader's daughter Pintongta and son Phantongtae, said Viroj Lohaphan, a committee member.
The tax bill, due this week, stems from the 2006 sale of family-controlled telecom conglomerate Shin Corp to Singapore's Temasek Holdings.
"We insist that there is no tax burden in this case," Noppadol Patama, Thaksin's lawyer and de facto spokesman in Thailand, told The Associated Press by telephone. He said the two had filed tax returns but did not include the sale because there was nothing to declare.
"The transaction was carried out overseas in Singapore and the sale of Shin Corp was a transaction done in the stock market and hence exempt from capital gains tax," he said.
The committee and other government agencies are probing several allegedly corrupt deals undertaken by Thaksin, his family and colleagues. However, none has yet come to trial, even though corruption was one of the excuse for staging the coup. The investigation have been criticized by both Thaksin and his critics.
"We will have to fight till the end on this," said Noppadol, describing Monday's ruling as "a self-serving attempt to distort the law" in order to show that the committee was making progress.
The shares in telecoms conglomerate Shin Corp had belonged to Ample Rich, a holding company owned by the two adult children. Shin Corp was sold in January last year to the Singapore state firm Temasek Holdings for 73.3 billion baht ($2.3 billion, at current rates of exchange).
The sale drew a firestorm of criticism because it was structured to avoid taxes and because it involved the sale of what many people characterized as strategic national communications assets. The protests that followed the sale caused political turbulence that led to Thaksin's ouster.
Thaksin was a telecommunications tycoon who became one of the country's richest men before entering politics and becoming prime minister in 2001.
The transaction was made when he was still in power, and before he was ousted the Revenue Department had ruled that taxes did not need to be paid on the deal, a stance it reversed after the coup.
Copyright 2007 Associated Press.