Barkar Nash (Page 1,057)

Acquittal upheld on police station graft

The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions yesterday upheld its previous acquittal of former deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban and five other defendants on charges of corruption in the construction of 396 police stations and living quarters 10 years ago.

The other five defendants charged by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) with similar offences and also acquitted by the court were: former acting national police chief Pol Gen Pateep Tanprasert, Pol Maj Gen Satja Kochahiran, Pol Lt Col Suriya Jangsuwan, PCC Development & Construction Company, and Wisanu Wisetsing, the company’s managing director.

Upon hearing the ruling, Mr Suthep said he was preparing to discuss with his legal team about filing a countersuit against the NACC.

Mr Suthep said he was proud of being a politician who has never committed graft.

The projects were approved during the administration of then-prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, when Mr Suthep was a deputy prime minister. The NACC filed the case with the court, alleging malfeasance and price collusion in government projects from June 2009 to April 2013.

On Sept 20, 2022, the court found Mr Suthep and the other five defendants not guilty and acquitted them of the charges. The NACC appealed the decision. The court yesterday upheld its previous judgement to acquit all six defendants.

In this case, one of the projects related to the construction of 396 police stations, each costing 5.8 million baht, was endorsed by the cabinet.

Many of the police stations were left unfinished when the contractor, managing a number of sites at the same time, dumped the project.

The NACC also found grounds for allegations relating to the building of 163 blocks of police flats, which had been proposed along with the police station project.

Mr Suthep and Pol Gen Pateep were accused of wrongfully combining all the regional construction contracts into one. The contract was then awarded at an unusually low price to a single contractor, PCC.

Pol Maj Gen Satja and Pol Lt Col Suriya, who were on the bidding committee, were accused of failing to verify the quote.

Mr Wisanu, the managing director of PCC, was accused of tendering a quote that was too low and the company of failing to finish the work.

The court found the Royal Thai Police had the authority to decide how it would award the construction contract and Mr Suthep could not be held responsible for any malfeasance.

The court also found Pol Gen Pateep handled the project in compliance with regulations, and there was no evidence Pol Maj Gen Satja or Pol Lt Col Suriya had any vested interest.

Srettha promises more details once election receives royal endorsement

Prime Minister-elect Srettha Thavisin said on Tuesday he was ready to work to his utmost to improve the living conditions of Thai people.

He made the promise at the Pheu Thai Party headquarters at about 6.40pm after parliament voted for him as prime minister on Tuesday evening.

“I am truly honoured to be voted the 30th prime minister. I would like to thank all Thai people, coalition parties and all the representatives and senators who voted today. I will do my best, forget tiredness in the past and improve the living conditions of all Thai people,” he said.

Asked if he was ready to work as prime minister, Mr Srettha raised his fist and said: “Ready.”

He declined to answer other questions, saying it would not be appropriate until his election officially receives royal endorsement. A full press conference would be held then, he said.

Representatives of other coalition parties had phoned him and congratulated him, he added.

While Mr Srettha was chatting with reporters, Paetongtarn Shinawatra arrived at party headquarters to congratulate him. The youngest child of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was another prime ministerial candidate of Pheu Thai.

The joint sitting of the House and the Senate on Tuesday elected Mr Srettha with 482 votes in favour, 165 votes against and 81 abstentions.

Most of the votes against came from the Move Forward Party, which won the most seats in the election on May 14 — 151 compared with 141 for Pheu Thai. But it was unable to get its leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, elected as PM in Parliament.

Now in opposition, Move Forward made clear earlier that it was not voting against Mr Srettha personally, but against the coalition he heads, which includes two parties linked to the “uncles” who overthrew a previous Pheu Thai government in a military coup.

Chaithawat Tulathon, the Move Forward secretary-general, said on Tuesday evening that it would play a “proactive and creative” role as the main opposition party.

Also in opposition is the 25-member Democrat Party, which is currently adrift after two failed attempts to choose a new leader. Sixteen Democrats voted for Mr Srettha and seven abstained in line with a party resolution. Former leaders Chuan Leekpai and Banyat Bantadtan voted against the Pheu Thai nominee.

Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, secretary-general of the Progressive Movement and a co-founder of Future Forward, the now-defunct predecessor of Move Forward, said that Pheu Thai was now firmly part of the same establishment camp as the parties it used to campaign against.

In a post about the new governing coalition on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote: “This is a gathering of traditional elites — the original political elite and the economic elite — in a passive revolution to maintain their status and power and undermine … the new power that was forming and challenging them.

“In the 1970s and 1990s, they had done it before, but this time, the situation has changed completely. People’s mindsets have changed a lot.

“The Progressive Party (Move Forward) must (emphasise ‘must’) pledge and establish itself as a representative of the new force and the vehicle of the majority of the people.

“A new historical battle has clearly begun A new dividing line has been drawn.”

The joint sitting of the House and the Senate on Tuesday evening elected the Pheu Thai Party’s Srettha Thavisin the 30th prime minister of Thailand with 482 votes for and 165 votes against him and 81 abstentions.

There are 500 elected House representatives and currently 249 appointed senators. Mr Srettha needed a simple majority of 375 votes. In the parliament, 728 were present, meeting the needed quorum.

The parliamentary session for the prime ministerial vote started late Tuesday morning. About 11am, Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew nominated Mr Srettha, a property tycoon, as the sole prime ministerial candidate and the debate involving elected representatives and appointed senators on Mr Srettha’s qualifications for the job followed.

Many parliamentarians said Mr Srettha should have attended the session to introduce himself and his policies and clarify allegations made against him, because he was nominated for a very important position in national administration.

Some parliamentarians voiced concerns about accusations of tax avoidance in land purchases by property developer Sansiri Plc when Mr Srettha was still chief executive of the company. 

Senator Wiwat Saengsuriyachat said he had little knowledge about Mr Srettha and the Pheu Thai Party had not distributed a written profile of their candidate to parliamentarians before the prime ministerial nomination.

“I have only seen news reports about him and there were many accusations against him,” Mr Wiwat said.

Suratin Pijarn, leader of the New Democracy Party, said he did not know details about Mr Srettha and was aware only that the prime ministerial candidate “built houses for sale”. 

“Will we have to vote for a prime minister as if we are buying a product online?” he said.

He also asked how the Pheu Thai Party would fund its 560-billion-baht digital wallet policy. He doubted he country could afford it, given its present financial status.

Senator Gen Lertrat Ratanawanit said he recognised Mr Srettha’s performance in running Sansiri Plc but Mr Srettha should clarify the allegations against him.

At 2.50pm Pheu Thai leader Cholnan said his party was aware of the allegations against Mr Srettha, but its legal team had already investigated them and found no evidence proving that Mr Srettha had violated any law.

“The allegations have not been proved. So, Mr Srettha is considered as being innocent and honest,” Dr Cholnan said.

Parliament President Wan Muhamad Noor Matha ended the debate on Mr Srettha’s qualifications at 3.11pm and started the voting by calling the names of individual elected MPs and senators.

The voting results were announced about 5.40pm.

Corrections officials discuss treatment plan for 74-year-old with heart and lung problems

Thaksin Shinawatra is in a private room on the medical ward of Bangkok Remand Prison and being monitored around the clock because four underlying health conditions including heart and lung problems, the head of the Department of Corrections said on Tuesday.

Aryut Sinthoppan briefed journalists on the department’s plans for the 74-year-old inmate after the former prime minister was brought to the prison following his sentencing to eight years in jail by the Supreme Court earlier in the day — Thaksin’s first back in Thailand in 15 years.

Mr Aryut said the prison would provide proper security for Thaksin and ensure appropriate living conditions, food, drinking water and visits.

Since Thaksin is likely to be visited by family members, close associates and people from various organisations, he will be provided with an appropriate space to meet with them.

Moreover, since Thaksin is an elderly person, his health will be closely monitored to ensure proper medical care.

Doctors from the Department of Corrections Hospital have examined Thaksin and found him to have four underlying diseases, said Sithi Sutheewong, deputy director-general of the department.

In accordance with procedure for elderly prisoners with illnesses, Thaksin initially has been put in a separate room on Zone 7, the medical centre of the Bangkok Remand Prison, where he will be monitored around the clock.

It has been widely speculated that the former premier wants his stay behind bars to be as short as possible. He is eligible to apply for a royal pardon from his first day in jail, Mr Sitthi said. The petition may be prepared by Thaksin himself or his relatives.

When a petition is submitted, it will be considered by a committee of the Department of Corrections. The committee will then send it to the Justice Ministry and the prime minister before being forwarded to His Majesty the King for consideration.

Mr Sitthi said there are two types of royal pardons — for people in general and for individuals. Thaksin is in the second category. The entire process may be completed in one to two months, depending on the documents attached and royal discretion.

Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam, the government’s legal expert, said earlier that if a pardon is not granted, the applicant has to wait two years before seeking one again.

Wattanachai Mingbancherdsuk, director of the Department of Corrections Hospital, said Thaksin’s medical records indicate he suffers from four underlying conditions — heart disease, a lung ailment, high blood pressure and spondylosis, or degeneration of the bones and discs in the spine.

In light of those conditions, Thaksin is considered in a vulnerable group, requiring close surveillance, he said.

Nastee Thongplad, chief of the Bangkok Remand Prison, said all inmates, including Thaksin, are required to keep their hair short and wear a white shirt.

The room where Thaksin is staying has electric fans but no air-conditioner, with an adjoining room for doctors, he added.

Other high-profile prisoners currently serving time in Bangkok Remand Prison include Boonsong Teriyapirom, a former commerce minister in the Yingluck Shinawatra government. He was sentenced to 48 years after being found guilty of corruption in the government rice-pledging scheme. Following royal pardons and reductions of jail terms on various occasions, his term has been shortened and he is due to be released on April 21, 2028.

Also serving time is Tarit Pengdit, former director-general of the Department of Special Investigation. He was sentenced to two years in jail by the Supreme Court for unfairly pursuing murder charges against former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his then-deputy Suthep Thaugsuban for ordering the crackdown on red-shirt protesters during the violent rallies in Bangkok in 2010.

Ex-PM taken to prison following appearance at Supreme Court in connection with three convictions

Thaksin Shinawatra has begun serving his eight-year prison sentence after appearing at the Supreme Court on Tuesday morning following his return to the country after 15 years abroad.

The Corrections Department confirmed that the 74-year-old former prime minister had arrived at Bangkok Remand Prison and been admitted to its hospital unit in light of his old age and underlying illnesses.

The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions earlier ordered Thaksin jailed for eight years — three years concurrently in the first two cases, and five years in the third case.

Thaksin was brought from Don Mueang airport to the Supreme Court shortly after 10am. Many Red Shirt supporters lined the streets near Sanam Luang as he was taken into the court building.

Inside, immigration police told the court that Thaksin was a convict in three finalised cases and had been wanted on arrest warrants.

In one case, Thaksin had been sentenced in absentia to three years in prison for having conflict of interest in the Export-Import Bank of Thailand (Exim) loan case. The case involved the lending of 4 billion baht to the government of Myanmar in 2004. The court said Thaksin had ordered the state-run bank to lend 4 billion baht at a below-cost interest rate to Myanmar so that it could buy products from Shin Satellite Plc, a company owned by his family.

In another case, the court sentenced him to two years in jail for illegally launching a two- and three-digit lottery between 2003 and 2006. He was found guilty of breaching the Criminal Code by abusing his power as the scheme was not supported by any legislation.

The court said on Tuesday that the jail terms in these two cases would start simultaneously in the next three years.

In the other case, the court earlier sentenced Thaksin to five years in jail for malfeasance in connection with the handling of telephone concessionaires and conflict of interest from 2001 and 2006 during his two terms as prime minister.

He was charged with violating the Organic Act on Counter Corruption by holding shares in Shin Corp through proxies. The act prohibits a government official from holding shares in a contractor of the state. Shin Corp through its subsidiaries obtained mobile phone concessions from two state telecom agencies.

The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions on Tuesday upheld its previous acquittal of former deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban and five other defendants on charges of corruption in construction of 396 police stations and living quarters ten years ago.

The other five defendants charged by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) with similar offences and also acquitted by the court are – former acting national police chief Pol Gen Pateep Tanprasert, Pol Maj Gen Satja Kochahiran, Pol Lt Col Suriya Jangsuwan, PCC Development &  Construction Company, and Wisanu Wisetsing, the company’s managing director.

The projects were approved during the administration of then prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, when Mr Suthep was a deputy prime minister.

The NACC filed the case with the court, alleging malfeasance and price collusion in government projects from June 2009 to April 2013.

On Sept 20, 2022, the court found Mr Suthep and the five other defendants not guilty and acquitted them of the charges.

The NACC appealed against the decision.

The court on Tuesday, upheld its previous judgement to acquit the six defendants.

In this case, one of the projects related to the construction of 396 police stations, costing 5.84 million baht, endorsed by the cabinet.

Many of the police stations were left unfinished when the contractor, managing a number of construction sites at the same time, dumped the project.

The NACC also found grounds for allegations relating to the building of 163 blocks of police flats, which had been proposed along with the police station project.

Mr Suthep and Pol Gen Pateep were accused of wrongfully combining all the regional construction contracts into one. The contract was then awarded at an unusually low price to a single contractor, PCC Development & Construction Co.

Pol Maj Gen Satcha and Pol Lt Col Suriya, who were on the bidding committee, were accused of failing to verify the quote.

Mr Wisanu, the managing director of PCC Development & Construction Co, was accused of tendering a quote that was too low and the company of failing to finish the work.

The court found the Royal Thai Police had the authority to decide how it would award the construction contract and Mr Suthep could not be held responsible for any malfeasance.

The court also found that Pol Gen Pateep handled the project in compliance with regulations, and there was no evidence that Pol Maj Gen Satja and Pol Lt Col Suriya had any vested interest.

The company and its managing director were thus considered innocent, and the low quotation was the company’s own decision and did not cause any damage to the state.

Former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra posted a message on social media wishing her elder brother Thaksin good luck and happiness on being back with his family in Thailand, after the fugitive former prime minister departed from Singapore on a private jet that landed at Don Mueang airport on Tuesday morning.

Yingluck accompanied Thaksin in the flight from Dubai to Singapore, to see him off to Thailand.

Along with the message on Facebook and Instagram, she posted pictures of her with Thaksin before his departure.

“Now the day you have long been waiting for has come,” Yingluck wrote.

“Throughout the 17 years (away from home), I know you have been lonely, unhappy and homesick. I believe it took you quite a long time to make this decision. You want to be with family and spend your life in our home country. I respect your strong determination. I will keep in my memory our trip together from Dubai and until you departed on a plane back to Thailand.

“I wish you good luck and a safe journey. Do not forget to take care of your health. Do not worry about me. I will be strong and patient. I will look after myself, although I will be alone in foreign land.

“For the past six years of my being away from home, you have taken a good care of me. I cannot help feeling sad because this is the first time we are not travelling together. Good luck, my brother.”

The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions on Sept 27, 2017 sentenced Yingluck to five years in jail for failing to stop fake and corruption-plagued government-to-government sales of rice from her government’s rice-pledging scheme.

The court pronounced judgement in Yingluck’s absence. The announcement was postponed from Aug 25, 2017 after she failed to appear. A warrant was subsequently issued for her arrest.

Yingluck was reported to have fled the country to meet Thaksin in Dubai before the court delivered its decision.

The parliament on Tuesday morning resumed in joint session of the House and the Senate to vote for a prime minister, with the Pheu Thai Party’s Srettha Thavisin the only candidate put forward.

Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew nominated Mr Srettha to the parliament at 10.57am. Then Parliament President Wan Muhamad Noor Matha asked the session if there were any other candidates for prime minister. There was no reply. Mr Wan declared Mr Srettha the sole candidate.

The nomination was made in the parliament’s third joint session for a prime ministerial vote, 100 days after the May 14 general election.

In the first session on July 13 the parliament voted against Pita Limjaroenrat, leader and prime ministerial candidate of the election-winning Move Forward Party.

In the second session on July 19, the parliament rejected the renomination of Mr Pita by a majority, on the grounds a failed motion could not be resubmitted within the same parliamentary session under  House regulation 41.

During the third session on Tuesday Senator Wiwat Saengsuriyachat said he had little knowledge about Mr Srettha and the Pheu Thai Party had not distributed a written profile of their candidate to members of the parliament before the prime ministerial nomination.

“I have only seen news reports about him and there were many accusations against him,” Mr Wiwat said.

Suratin Pijarn, leader of the New Democracy Party, said he did not know details about Mr Srettha and was aware only that the prime ministerial candidate “built houses for sale”. Mr Srettha is the former chief executive of property developer Sansiri Plc.

“Will we have to vote for a prime minister as if we were buying a product online?” he said.

He also asked how the Pheu Thai Party would fund its 560-billion-baht digital wallet policy, saying he doubted that the country’s present financial status could affort it.

Chaithawat Tulathon, secretary-general of the Move Forward Party, said Pheu Thai’s planned formation of a government with Palang Pracharath and United Thai Nation parties would serve the interests of coup-makers and did not meet the demands of voters.

The Palang Pracharath Party is led by caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon and the United Thai Nation Party earlier had caretaker Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha as its prime ministerial candidate.

Before the debate on the prime ministerial vote began, Parliament President Wan turned down MFP’s protest against the parliament’s July 19 decision to block the renomination of its leader Pita Limjaroenrat for prime minister.