SPOTLIGHT
Tears from the Shinawatra family and their supporters as Khunying Potjaman is sentenced to jail for 546-million-baht tax evasion
Paethongtarn Shinawatra, the youngest daughter of the Shinawatra family, shook her head in disbelief, her lips pressed tightly shut, as the Criminal Court sentenced her mother, Khunying Potjaman, to jail yesterday.
Sadness and disappointment were written all over the young woman's face and her eyes were fixed on the court bench as the judges read out their verdict.
The court found Khunying Potjaman Shinawatra and the other two defendants, her stepbrother Bannapot Damapong and her secretary Karnchanapa Honghern, guilty of conspiring to evade tax totalling 546 million baht on the transfer of shares in Shinawatra Computer and Communication (known as Shin Corp since 1999).
Khunying Potjaman and Bannapot were each given three years in jail, and Karnchanapa two years.
At Paethongtarn's side, her father, former prime minister Thaksin, looked glum and grim.
Other members of the family, relatives, friends, and members of the former Thai Rak Thai party and the ruling People Power party were crestfallen.
Tears welled in the eyes of some sympathisers present at the courtroom.
After the sentence was handed down, Mr Thaksin, his children Panthongtae, Pinthongta and Paethongtarn walked over to console Khunying Potjaman.
Mr Thaksin was seen leaning over to embrace his wife to comfort her.
As the whole family left the court they received a big round of applause from supporters waiting outside.
The Shinawatra family slipped into their cars immediately, gave no interviews and made no comment.
The subdued mood after the court's decision was in stark contrast to the high spirits of the huge crowd of supporters who turned up to support Khunying Potjaman early in the morning.
A combined force of more than 300 police officers from commando units, the Crime Suppression Division, the 191 Special Operations Police Division and bomb disposal units were called in to maintain peace and order around the court building.
Barricades were erected between the supporters and the area outside the court. There was no violence and no abuse was heard after the court gave its decision.
The supporters had dispersed quietly by noon. The court earlier warned that anybody who caused trouble would be punished for contempt of court.
Khunying Potjaman and the other defendants were released on bail of five million baht each.
A spokesman for Mr Thaksin, Pongthep Thepkanchana, said an appeal would be filed within 30 days.
Mr Thaksin had instructed the lawyers to fight the case all the way to the Supreme Court, Mr Pongthep said. Mr Thaksin and Khunying Potjaman had said they would respect the court's decision whichever way the final ruling goes.
Mr Thaksin and his wife will still travel to Beijing to attend the Aug 8 opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics and will then return to Thailand.
Mr Thaksin will then report to the Supreme Court and ask permission to go to England, where he has business to attend to at Manchester City football club, where he is chairman.
Khunying Potjaman Shinawatra, her stepbrother Bannapot Damapong, top right, and her secretary Karnchanapa Honghern, lower right, appear stressed as they listen to the court's ruling in the tax evasion case against them in pictures taken from the court's closed-circuit television. |
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