Post by Sapphire Capital on Aug 5, 2008 0:20:48 GMT 4
Thailand's tax fraud verdict marks 'new trend'
Aug 4, 2008
The recent verdict against the wife of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra for tax evasion, as well as other cases against Mr Thaksin and his associates, marks a major new trend in Thailand in dealing with charges of high level corruption.
Thailand's auditor general, Jaruvan Maintaka, played a key role in a special investigation committee into the cases against members of the former Thaksin led government.
Presenter: Ron Corben
Speaker: Thailand's auditor general, Jaruvan Maintaka; Panitan Wattanayagorn, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University.
CORBEN: The Thai criminal court's verdict against Pojaman Shinawatra, wife of the former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, of three years jail for tax evasion, is being seen as a landmark decision with the Thai judiciary playing a central role in efforts to curb corruption.
Mr. Thaksin, the multi-billioniare businessman and owner of Manchester City football club, now faces the fight of his life with several court cases pending or underway over allegations and charges of corruption while he was Prime Minister.
Soon after the military coup in 2006 that ousted Mr. Thaksin's from power led to the military leaders setting up a special committee to investigate allegations of corruption. The committee, known as the Assets Examination or Committee, comprised senior judges as well as Thailand's auditor general, Jaruvan Maintaka. The committee also carried out the initial work into the tax evasion charges against Mrs Pojaman.
I asked Mrs Jaruvan whether she saw the investigations as ground breaking, given the high profile of the people under scrutiny.
JARUVAN: I think this will mark another standard for the use of public funds, anyone who come into public positions, they need to be clean and clear and they have to open to be examined; Even I myself.....the people examine also. I think from now on Thailand the Thai people will get up and to look through the country who is wrong and who is right. Then the public will learn to know that they have the right to yell out and they have the right. They have to tell those who want to come in as political man that now you have watch out we are going to examine you thoroughly by the auditor general, by the anti corruption committee or even by the public. I think this is starting a good time, new things for the society in Thailand.
CORBEN: In another case, the Thai Supreme Court is scheduled to hand down a verdict in September on abuse of power charges linked to the purchase of state-owned land by Mrs Potjaman when Mr. Thaksin was prime minister.
Other cases include charges connected to a 120-million-dollar loan to Burma's military government which was seen as benefiting Thaksin's businesses, bank loans to politicians and corruption allegations linked to Bangkok's new four-billion-dollar international airport.
.
The assests examination committee completed its work in March. Outstanding cases were handed over the Natonal Counter Corruption Commission to continue the cases' prosecution.
Mrs Jaruvan says she is confident the Commission will be able to continue the work of the AEC.
JARUVAN: They (the commission) will take over the case and from what I understand they have already divided the cases into different committees already. So I am quite sure the case will go on and then we will be able to tell the public what is correct and whart is wrong. All the public funds should be taken care of not just to be used illegally and then things pass by. I don't think that will happen but I think all the cases should be taken care of.
CORBEN: But Panitan Wattanayagorn, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University, says for Thailand the series of court decisions mark crucial point for both Thailand and its judiciary.
PANITAN: The stakes are quite high for Thailand to have this judicial branch to get involved in pushing the transparency issue to move forward. If this system fails I think the possibility is that we may end up with coup d'ΓΈ~ts or riots in the streets again because contestation will continue without any system of rule of law. So the stakes are very high at the moment and it is important to see that the judicial system is effectively working in solving the current political crisis.
CORBEN: The key implication, as Dr Panitan sees it, is that Thailand could now be entering a new era in dealing with official corruption.
PANITAN: If this case proceeds further successfully and legally some ex-leaders, members of the ex-leader's families if they are convicted it's going to be a new beginning of transparency, legitimacy and counter corruption efforts in Thailand.
Aug 4, 2008
The recent verdict against the wife of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra for tax evasion, as well as other cases against Mr Thaksin and his associates, marks a major new trend in Thailand in dealing with charges of high level corruption.
Thailand's auditor general, Jaruvan Maintaka, played a key role in a special investigation committee into the cases against members of the former Thaksin led government.
Presenter: Ron Corben
Speaker: Thailand's auditor general, Jaruvan Maintaka; Panitan Wattanayagorn, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University.
CORBEN: The Thai criminal court's verdict against Pojaman Shinawatra, wife of the former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, of three years jail for tax evasion, is being seen as a landmark decision with the Thai judiciary playing a central role in efforts to curb corruption.
Mr. Thaksin, the multi-billioniare businessman and owner of Manchester City football club, now faces the fight of his life with several court cases pending or underway over allegations and charges of corruption while he was Prime Minister.
Soon after the military coup in 2006 that ousted Mr. Thaksin's from power led to the military leaders setting up a special committee to investigate allegations of corruption. The committee, known as the Assets Examination or Committee, comprised senior judges as well as Thailand's auditor general, Jaruvan Maintaka. The committee also carried out the initial work into the tax evasion charges against Mrs Pojaman.
I asked Mrs Jaruvan whether she saw the investigations as ground breaking, given the high profile of the people under scrutiny.
JARUVAN: I think this will mark another standard for the use of public funds, anyone who come into public positions, they need to be clean and clear and they have to open to be examined; Even I myself.....the people examine also. I think from now on Thailand the Thai people will get up and to look through the country who is wrong and who is right. Then the public will learn to know that they have the right to yell out and they have the right. They have to tell those who want to come in as political man that now you have watch out we are going to examine you thoroughly by the auditor general, by the anti corruption committee or even by the public. I think this is starting a good time, new things for the society in Thailand.
CORBEN: In another case, the Thai Supreme Court is scheduled to hand down a verdict in September on abuse of power charges linked to the purchase of state-owned land by Mrs Potjaman when Mr. Thaksin was prime minister.
Other cases include charges connected to a 120-million-dollar loan to Burma's military government which was seen as benefiting Thaksin's businesses, bank loans to politicians and corruption allegations linked to Bangkok's new four-billion-dollar international airport.
.
The assests examination committee completed its work in March. Outstanding cases were handed over the Natonal Counter Corruption Commission to continue the cases' prosecution.
Mrs Jaruvan says she is confident the Commission will be able to continue the work of the AEC.
JARUVAN: They (the commission) will take over the case and from what I understand they have already divided the cases into different committees already. So I am quite sure the case will go on and then we will be able to tell the public what is correct and whart is wrong. All the public funds should be taken care of not just to be used illegally and then things pass by. I don't think that will happen but I think all the cases should be taken care of.
CORBEN: But Panitan Wattanayagorn, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University, says for Thailand the series of court decisions mark crucial point for both Thailand and its judiciary.
PANITAN: The stakes are quite high for Thailand to have this judicial branch to get involved in pushing the transparency issue to move forward. If this system fails I think the possibility is that we may end up with coup d'ΓΈ~ts or riots in the streets again because contestation will continue without any system of rule of law. So the stakes are very high at the moment and it is important to see that the judicial system is effectively working in solving the current political crisis.
CORBEN: The key implication, as Dr Panitan sees it, is that Thailand could now be entering a new era in dealing with official corruption.
PANITAN: If this case proceeds further successfully and legally some ex-leaders, members of the ex-leader's families if they are convicted it's going to be a new beginning of transparency, legitimacy and counter corruption efforts in Thailand.