ID :
11118
Mon, 06/30/2008 - 10:51
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https://oananews.org//node/11118
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Four AEC lawsuits filed against political figures as term ends
BANGKOK, June 30 (TNA) - Thailand's graft-busting Assets Examination
Committee (AEC), an agency set up after the bloodless coup d'etat which toppled the elected government of the prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in September 2006, filed only four lawsuits against persons with political status prior to its mandate expires Monday.
AEC Secretary General Kaewsan Atibodhi told journalists Sunday the agency
will formally hand over its still pending work for further investigation
to the Office of the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) on
Monday – the last day the AEC is still officially functioning.
During the AEC's tenure over the past 21 months, Mr. Kaewsan said, the
agency had conducted investigations into 24 cases and able to file four
lawsuits against persons with political status.
The four lawsuits are a land purchase in Bangkok's prime business area by
Mr. Thaksin's wife, initiation of a two- and three-digit lottery by Mr.
Thaksin's government, purchase of 90 million rubber saplings worth Bt1.44
billion by the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry, and a Bt4 billion
Export-Import Bank of Thailand (EXIM Bank) loan provided to the government
of Myanmar.
The EXIM Bank loan was described as being provided to the Myanmar
government for telecommunications development in return for the purchase
procurement of telecom equipment from Shin Satellite, a subsidiary of Shin
Corp, which was then owned by Mr. Thaksin's family.
Seven cases with completed investigations are now being considered by the
Attorney-General's Office, he said.
Two cases which have not yet been concluded by the AEC are being sent to
the NCCC for further investigation, including Mr. Thaksin's purchase of
Britain's Manchester City football club as the anti-graft agency probed
the provenence of the ousted prime minister's funds used to procure the
football club.
Asked whether the AEC was satisfied with its work as only four suits
against persons with political status have actually been sent to court,
Mr. Kaewsan said the success of AEC did not depend on cases that it
investigated but from solving cases justly.
"The success of the AEC (now) hinges upon the court. The AEC is not an
agency which could point an accusing finger at any other agency," Mr.
Kaewsan said. (TNA)
Committee (AEC), an agency set up after the bloodless coup d'etat which toppled the elected government of the prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in September 2006, filed only four lawsuits against persons with political status prior to its mandate expires Monday.
AEC Secretary General Kaewsan Atibodhi told journalists Sunday the agency
will formally hand over its still pending work for further investigation
to the Office of the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) on
Monday – the last day the AEC is still officially functioning.
During the AEC's tenure over the past 21 months, Mr. Kaewsan said, the
agency had conducted investigations into 24 cases and able to file four
lawsuits against persons with political status.
The four lawsuits are a land purchase in Bangkok's prime business area by
Mr. Thaksin's wife, initiation of a two- and three-digit lottery by Mr.
Thaksin's government, purchase of 90 million rubber saplings worth Bt1.44
billion by the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry, and a Bt4 billion
Export-Import Bank of Thailand (EXIM Bank) loan provided to the government
of Myanmar.
The EXIM Bank loan was described as being provided to the Myanmar
government for telecommunications development in return for the purchase
procurement of telecom equipment from Shin Satellite, a subsidiary of Shin
Corp, which was then owned by Mr. Thaksin's family.
Seven cases with completed investigations are now being considered by the
Attorney-General's Office, he said.
Two cases which have not yet been concluded by the AEC are being sent to
the NCCC for further investigation, including Mr. Thaksin's purchase of
Britain's Manchester City football club as the anti-graft agency probed
the provenence of the ousted prime minister's funds used to procure the
football club.
Asked whether the AEC was satisfied with its work as only four suits
against persons with political status have actually been sent to court,
Mr. Kaewsan said the success of AEC did not depend on cases that it
investigated but from solving cases justly.
"The success of the AEC (now) hinges upon the court. The AEC is not an
agency which could point an accusing finger at any other agency," Mr.
Kaewsan said. (TNA)
