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Published on September 28, 2007

"I plan to go back to Bangkok after a date has been arranged (with the police there)," he told StarBiz yesterday in Petaling Jaya.

He would, however, discuss this with his lawyer since it was reported on Wednesday that a Thai court had issued an arrest warrant for his failure to meet Thai police on Monday over allegations he illegally represented Singapore's Temasek Holdings in its takeover of Shin Corp.

Surin said he first received notice on September 4 to report to the police in Bangkok. That notice was sent to his house in Bangkok, and it was later forwarded to him by his sister. "I only received the notice (in Kuala Lumpur) on September 4 itself," he said.

His lawyer arranged for a postponement for Surin to meet the Thai police on Monday, the day he was admitted to hospital for dizziness and advised by his doctor not to travel.

Even so, he wants to go to Bangkok to meet the police.

"I've not done anything wrong," he said over the phone from his office in Kuala Lumpur.

"I'm in my office. I'm not in hiding, or running away," he added.

Surin partnered Temasek to buy a 52 per cent stake in Shin Corp from Thailand's deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The acquisition was structured so that Surin and other Thai partners would own 51 per cent of a holding company formed to purchase the Shin Corp stake while Temasek would own an effective 49 per cent.

Their combined stake in Shin Corp was later increased to 96 per cent after a general offer for all Shin Corp shares.

Surin, a Thai, has always maintained he is not a nominee of Temasek.

The Star

Asia News Network

Kuala Lumpur