Land deal 'crime at any price'
Deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Khunying Pojaman Shinawatra violated anti-corruption laws, no matter whether the price of the land on Ratchadaphisek Road that Pojaman bought was high or low, an official said yesterday.
Assets Examination Committee (AEC) chairman Nam Yimyaem was speaking to counter the reason given by the Financial Institutions Development Fund (FIDF) for not stating in its complaint that the deal had caused damage to the state. The FIDF gave no damage figure for the deal, reasoning Pojaman bought the land at a price higher than the government standard price. Nam said that Article 100 of the National Counter Corruption Law stipulated that the PM and spouse are banned from signing any contract. "By having signed the land purchase, it can be interpreted that the damage is done,'' Nam said. The AEC also summoned Bank of Thailand Governor Tarisa Watanagase to give more reasons why the central bank's rescue arm, the FIDF, had not indicated how much damage was done from the land deal. AEC subcommittee chairman Udom Fuangfung said Tarisa yesterday produced a draft of a new complaint that stated damage was incurred from the land deal - but did not specify how much. Udom said the new complaint was acceptable and his subcommittee would forward the file of Pojaman's land deal to the AEC to appoint an investigation panel. AEC spokesman Sak Korsaengruang said the AEC subcommittee on Shin Corp's share sale had received useful information from its seven-hour questioning of Pinthongta Shinawatra, Thaksin's daughter. Pinthongta took some time to check whether the subcommittee correctly recorded her statements in the petition. The subcommittee will question Shin Corp CEO Boonklee Plangsiri and Bhannapot Damapong, Poja-man's adoptive brother, tomorrow. The subcommittee also questioned Democrat Party deputy secretary-general Korn Chatikavanij for over four hours about the Shin Corp sale. Korn said he was asked about the technique of transferring money overseas to avoid checks. He said the subcommittee was also interested in knowing if Thaksin used insider information in his business transaction and which state agencies supplied information for him or his family. Korn said he gave evidence to the subcommittee to trace the routes of Thaksin's money overseas that is suspected to be illegal money. He said the AEC could impound Thaksin's assets abroad if it found evidence. Budsarakham Sinlapalavan The Nation
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