[Tlc] T-politics

[justinm at ucr.edu]

Forwarded from Bonnie Brereton.
Thanks,
justin

Court finds Thaksin wife guilty of tax evasion
	

In a politically-loaded ruling, Criminal Court on Thursday found Pojaman Shinawatra - wife of coup-ousted premier Thaksin - guilty of tax evasion in a 1997 share transaction, court official said.

The heavily-guarded court, surrounded by some 2,000 Thaksin-supporters holding red roses, sentenced Pojaman to three years in jail for avoiding a tax bite amounting to 546 million baht (16.3 million dollars) on a share transfer to her step-brother Bannapot Damapong and her secretary Karnchanapa Honghern in 1997.

Bannapot was also sentenced to three years in jail and Karnchanapa to two years.

Thaksin and the couple's three children sat stony-faced throughout the ruling at the Bangkok court which was guarded by some 500 police. Pojaman had pleaded not guilty to the charge of tax evasion, claiming that the 738 million baht (22 million dollars) share transfer of Shinawatra Computer and Communications stock was a gift, not a business transaction.

The court said it had decided on a heavy sentence because both Pojaman and Bannapot were well-known public figures with responsibility to society.

Pojaman, who managed Thaksin's billion-dollar fortune and ran his business empire when he was prime minister between 2001 to 2006, is expected to appeal the ruling.

The court's verdict could pave the way for similar guilty rulings against Thaksin who faces at least three cases of malfeasance and abuse of power at the Supreme Court for Political Office Holders in the coming months. Thaksin, a former billionaire telecommunication tycoon who was prime minister between 2001 to 2006, was ousted by a military coup on September 19, 2006, on charges of corruption, dividing the nation and undermining democracy and the monarchy.

Thaksin remains one of Thailand's most controversial political figures.

Using populist policies Thaksin won the devotion of masses of rural and urban poor, but amid growing evidence of corruption and self-serving policies during his increasingly monopolistic rule, the Bangkok-based middle class and political elite turned against him in early 2006, ushering in his downfall.
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Dr. Justin McDaniel
Dept. of Religious Studies
3046 INTN
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, CA 92521
951-827-4530
justinm at ucr.edu