Thai prosecutors want Thaksin's billions seized
THAILAND: Thai prosecutors demanded Monday that the Supreme Court
seize US$2.2 billion in cash and assets of former Prime Minister Thaksin
Shinawatra and his family as part of a continuing corruption
investigation.
The assets have been frozen since shortly after Thaksin was ousted in
a September 2006 coup by military leaders who accused him of widespread
corruption and of undermining the country's democracy by consolidating
too much power.
Waiyawuth Lohtrakul, deputy chief of the Attorney General's office,
said prosecutors filed a lawsuit asking the court to confiscate those
assets and determine how much was earned through Thaksin's media
business and how much was the result of corruption while he was in
office from 2001-2006.
Thaksin and his family members have denied any wrongdoing, and he
currently is in exile in Britain. Soon after Thaksin's ouster, the
Assets Examination Committee was established to investigate wrongdoing
during his reign. One of the first things it did was freeze Thaksin's 76
million baht (US$2.2 billion) in assets now being sought by the Thai
authorities.
Thaksin was abroad during the coup and initially stayed in exile.
He returned earlier this year, saying he wanted to face justice and
clear his name.
However, he fled earlier this month to Britain arguing that he feared
for his safety and could not get a fair trial in Thailand.
Bangkok, Monday, AP
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