Taksin found guilty

[PJack]

BANGKOK: -- The Supreme Court Tuesday found former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra guilty in the Ratchada land case.

He was sentenced to 2 years in jail.

Pojaman Shinawatra, his wife, was found not guilty and the court revoked arrest warrant against her.

The court found that Thaksin had violated Article 100 and Article 102 of the National Counter Corruption Act, which states that government officials, including prime ministers, and their spouses are prohibited from entering into or having interests in contracts with state agencies under their supervision.

-- The Nation 2008-10-21

[MisterMatlock]

Wow... That should mean pretty much nothing. *laugh*

[Loburt]

What evidence do you have that Chuan Leekpai was corrupt?

[thejudgegiles]

Poor old Chuan, he got too little time to pick up the rubbish that Chavalit left his second time round.

I thought given time he may have suited the PM post best in recent times.

The last PM that I think was any good goes back further than 1990. Mr Kukrit Pramoj back in the mid seventies would be my choice.

It's going to get a fair bit worse here currently before it'll get any better.

[Loburt]

  thejudgegiles said:

Poor old Chuan, he got too little time to pick up the rubbish that Chavalit left his second time round.

I thought given time he may have suited the PM post best in recent times.

The last PM that I think was any good goes back further than 1990. Mr Kukrit Pramoj back in the mid seventies would be my choice.

It's going to get a fair bit worse here currently before it'll get any better.

Kukrit was PM for a relatively short time. He didn't accomplish much as PM as far as I can see.

I'm curious as to why you rate him so highly.

[Ngairo]

  thejudgegiles said:

It's going to get a fair bit worse here currently before it'll get any better.

Same for the world.....maybe fortunate we are not in the US right now...except for restord V8's.....cher

[English_Bob]

But I remember a Bangkok Tollway worker getting 45 years in prison for stealing 75,000 baht.

I think a message HAS to be sent to Thai politicians that no-one is above the law anymore.

[Loburt]

  sathorn said:

I am certainly not a Thaksin supporter, but I find the sentence of 2 years gaol against him ridiculously extreme. I can't quote any specific examples from memory, but I am sure that I remember many prominent politicians in Australia in the past who were guilty of similar offenses and were not gaoled. (Joe Bjelke Peterson particularly comes to mind.) A heavy fine or ban from politics may be appropriate, but this smacks of partisan retaliation.

He's already banned from politics because his party committed electoral fraud.

What would a heavy fine be for someone who has $2 billion in declared assets, and billions more stashed away undeclared in overseas bank accounts (which is how he bought Manchester City)?

The law on the books is perfectly clear and allows for a three-year jail sentence. This law was passed before the 2006 coup d'etat, so it is not the invention his opponents.

I agree that the sentence is ridiculously extreme - in the sense that he got off far too lightly considering that three of his lawyers were caught red handed trying to bribe the court officials involved in this case.

They are serving six months in jail now. Also, far too light a sentence.

English_Bob's memory is correct.

It's about time the rich and powerful were treated equally under the law.

Now if the courts would only put the general who was in charge of the operation at Tak Bai on trial.

Oh, now I remember: Thaksin promoted him for his fine work that day.