Charge Thaksin's wife with tax evasion: Committee

The Straits Times, February 13, 2007


BANGKOK - A PANEL appointed to investigate corruption linked to deposed Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has recommended that criminal tax evasion charges be filed against his wife, her secretary and her brother, its chairman said yesterday.

Khunying Pojaman Shinawatra and her brother Bhanapot Damapong failed to pay the necessary taxes on a 1997 transfer of shares in the family business, an investigation by the Assets Examination Committee found, its chairman Nam Yimyaem told reporters.

The committee earlier said that almost 546 million baht (S$25 million) should have been paid in tax.

Mr Thaksin was accused of massive corruption during his two terms in office, and the military cited the graft allegations as one of the justifications for staging a bloodless coup against him last September.

In the aftermath of the coup, the military government set up several special committees to investigate whether Mr Thaksin, his family and colleagues could be prosecuted for graft.

However, the current case - which involved the transfer of stock in the family business later known as Shin Corp through the Shinawatra maid - predates Mr Thaksin's coming to power in 2001.

However, a subsequent investigation found that a cheque issued to the maid was later deposited in a new bank account belonging to Mr Thaksin's wife.

The case is not connected to the contentious sale of Shin Corp, the telecommunications conglomerate sold last year to Singapore investment firm Temasek for 73.3 billion baht.