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Thai anti-graft body files two new corruption charges against ex-PM Thaksin
BANGKOK, Thailand - An anti-graft body whose mandate to probe the government of Thailand's ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra expires in a few days recommended Friday that he be prosecuted for two cases of alleged corruption.
A lawyer for the Assets Examination Committee, established after Thaksin was deposed by a September 2006 military coup, said the two cases involve a government loan to Myanmar for communications satellite services, and the procurement of rubber tree saplings.
Sitichok Sricharaen said the agency has filed lawsuits with the Supreme Court and that the court would decide whether to accept the cases.
Thaksin's legal representatives could not be reached for comment Friday, but Thaksin has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
The former premier already faces several other corruption-related charges.
Sitichok said the committee was filing a new lawsuit because it determined a 2004 loan to Myanmar by the state-controlled Export-Import Bank of Thailand was meant to benefit the Shin Satellite company, which was then owned by Thaksin's family.
The committee's charges against Thaksin in the loan case cover both conflict of interest and abuse of his official powers, committee spokesman Sak Korsaengruang said.
The committee alleges that Thaksin used his power as prime minister to instruct the Export-Import Bank to extend the US$127 million loan.
In the second case, the committee filed a lawsuit against Thaksin for alleged corruption in connection with the 2003 procurement of 90 million rubber saplings worth 1.44 billion baht (US$42.9 million), Sak said.
Thaksin is already facing conflict of interest and malfeasance charges related to his wife's purchase of a piece of prime Bangkok real estate in 2003. She bought the land from a state agency despite an anti-corruption law barring politicians and their spouses from doing business with government agencies.
In another court case, Thaksin is accused of concealing his ownership of shares in a company in violation of stock market regulations.
Thaksin was deposed in 2006 after months of street demonstrations in Bangkok demanding he step down because of alleged corruption and abuse of power. He returned to Thailand earlier this year after his political allies in the People's Power Party took office.
The mandate of the Assets Examination Committee will end on Monday, after which its work is expected to be taken up by the National Counter Corruption Commission, a permanent body.
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