DSI asks details of AEC investigation on Win Mark

"The investigation on the Win Mark case by the Assets Examination Committee might have a bearing on the SC Asset case involving Thaksin," DSI director general Sunai Manomaiudom said.

Sunai said the DSI investigators came across a suspected linkage between Win Mark and the scam to distort equity stakes held by Thaksin and his wife Khunying Pojaman at SC Asset, the listed company for property development.

The linkage might be in a form of insider's information which is an offence under the securities law, he said.

In regard to the progress of the AC Asset case, investigators were still waiting for two company executives, Bussaba Damapong and Penchom Damapong, to give their statements before the next week's deadline, he said.

In a related development, the Anti Money Laundering Office is preparing to assign its officials to assist graft busters to trace money routing involving Thaksin.

The tracing of funds will be activated on "probable cause to suspect guilt", a legal leeway to speed up graft probes. Under normal procedures, moneylaundering officials are required to establish cause of guilt before launching an investigation.

The Securities and Exchange Commission said it was waiting for a report on the Win Mark case before launching its own investigation into insider trading relating to the sale of Shin Corp to Singapore's Temasek Holdings last January.

Thaksin has been suspected of using insider information to buy Shin shares from retail investors to boost his stakes to 49 per cent before the selloff.

The Nation