Thaksin’s Extradition Sought by Thai Lawyers

Saturday, August 16, 2008 by Editor

Public prosecutors in Thailand are looking into the possibility of trying to extradite former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife Potjaman from Britain, where they have fled to escape court appearances in connection with charges carrying heavy prison penalties.

Potjaman Shinawatra jumped bail after her conviction of tax avoidance offences and a sentence of three years imprisonment. She was also due to appear in court to face further charges in connection with a real estate deal.

Ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra (R) and his wife Potjaman Shinawatra wade through the photographers at the criminal court in Bangkok on July 31. (Photo: Reuters)
Her husband—Thailand’s prime minister from 2000 until his ouster in 2006—faced several charges, including one arising from his government’s grant of a loan to the Burmese regime to buy Shinawatra family-owned satellite services.

Thaksin said he and members of his family had fled the country because they feared for their safety and were being treated unfairly by the country’s current justice system, which the former premier accused of double standards.

Thaksin’s attack on the justice system drew a rapid response from the leader of Thailand’s opposition Democrat Party, Abhisit Vejajiva, who said it cast doubt within the international community on the reliability of the country’s judges and lawyers.

Thailand’s Lawyers Council also condemned Thaksin’s attack, describing it as “unforgivable.” If Thaksin was confident of his innocence he should fight his case through legal process, said Council Chairman Dejudom Krairuek.

Legal steps are also being taken to strip Thaksin and his wife of their assets. Bank accounts containing 69 billion baht (US $2 billion) have already been frozen, and Deputy Attorney General Waiyawut Lotrakul said on Tuesday public prosecutors had applied to the Attorney-General for approval to seize Bt76 billion ($2.3 billion) of Shinawatra family assets.

Thaksin also stands to lose his ownership of the English Premier League football club Manchester City. Premier League rules bar convicted criminals of owning clubs, and if convicted by a Thai court, even in his absence, Thaksin could be forced to sell his majority stake in Manchester City.

Thaksin, his wife and their children arrived in London on Monday from Beijing, where they had attended the opening days of the Olympic Games.

The Thaksin couple had been summoned to appear that day before the Thai Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions in Bangkok. They are charged with abuse of authority and corruption in Potjaman's 2003 purchase of a valuable plot of land in Bangkok from a state agency.

The Criminal Court earlier sentenced Potjaman to three years in jail for tax evasion in the transfer of her shares to her step-brother Bhanapot Damapong with the help of her secretary Kanchanapa. Bhanapot was sentenced to three years imprisonment and Kanchanapa to two years. Both have also reportedly fled to London.

Source: http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=13846

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