The ministry's examination of the case, which police say they will begin reviewing next week, found that a holding firm called Kularb Kaew that was set up during the deal potentially holds Shin Corp shares on behalf of Temasek, the official said.

 "The summary that we sent to the police clearly stated that it holds a stake on behalf of foreign investors," Sakon Hansutthivarin, secretary to the commerce minister told AFP.

 However, the commerce ministry did not say whether Temasek actually violated the rules that limit foreign companies to owning 49 per cent of Thai telecoms.

 That determination will be made by Thai police, who have set up a special panel set to begin examining the case next week.

 Shin Corp was founded by deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a bloodless coup on September 19.

 His family sold their 49-per cent stake in the company to Temasek for 1.9 billion dollars in a tax-free deal that sparked months of street protests and political turmoil that led to the military takeover.

 After the buyout of Shin, a Temasek-led group of investors increased its total stake to 96 per cent through a mandatory offer for the outstanding shares.

 Many foreign companies use similar structures to get around the foreign ownership limits, in a practice that has been widely accepted in Thailand for decades.

Agence France Presse