Self-exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will face a total of 12 years in prison, in three outstanding cases, if he returns to Thailand on August 10th, as announced by his daughter, Paetongtarn, after 15 years abroad.
The cases are:
-The 3 and 2-digit lottery project of the Government Lottery Office, issued during his administration, in which he was found guilty of malfeasance in office and of violation of ethical conduct by a prime minister by the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders. He was sentenced to two years in prison.
-The granting of a 4 billion baht loan to the Myanmar government by the Exim Bank of Thailand, for the purchase of equipment and services from Shin Satellite Company in which he and his associates held the majority stake. He was sentenced to three years in prison without suspension by the Supreme Court.
-The case in which he was accused of allowing nominees to hold shares in Shin Corporation on his behalf for the benefit of Advance Info Service (AIS), which was awarded the concession to operate a mobile phone service by the Telephone Organisation of Thailand and DPC Company. The two companies are affiliated with Shin Corporation, which was then majority-owned by Thaksin. He was sentenced to five years in prison by the Supreme Court.
-He was also sentenced to two years in prison, in absentia, by the Supreme Court over the Ratchadapisek land deal. The statute of limitations in this case has, however, since lapsed.
Thaksin was acquitted in two other cases. The first concerns the Finance Ministry taking over the management of the financially-troubled TPI Company under a rehabilitation plan. The second concerns the granting of over 10 billion baht in loans by the state-run Krung Thai Bank to the Krisda Mahanakorn real estate company.
One case is still pending against Thaksin, which concerns his government’s approval for Thai Airways International to purchase a fleet of A340-500 and A340-600 aircraft, resulting in massive debt being incurred by the national flag carrier. Charges have been lodged against Thaksin, former THAI chairman Thanong Bidaya and former president of THAI, Kanok Apiradee.
