RATCHADAPISEK LAND CASE
Two former prime ministers, Banharn Silpa-archa and Chuan Leekpai, yesterday told the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions the prime minister has no authority to directly supervise the Financial Institutions Development Fund (FIDF). However, Mr Chuan also told the court the finance minister has authority over the FIDF and the prime minister has the authority to supervise the Finance Ministry.
The two former prime ministers were giving evidence in the Supreme Court's hearing of the case against former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife, Khunying Potjaman, over the 772-million-baht Ratchadapisek land deal.
Mr Thaksin is accused of abusing his authority as prime minister to facilitate his wife's purchase of a 33-rai land plot in the Ratchadaphisek area from the FIDF with a bid of 772 million baht. It was Mr Thaksin who named the two prime ministers as witnesses in the case, asking that they be brought to testify whether the prime minister has the authority over the running of the FIDF, a key issue in the case.
Mr Banharn told the court that when he was the prime minister he did not have the authority to supervise the FIDF, which comes under the Bank of Thailand, or any other state enterprise.
Mr Chuan said the law does not authorise the prime minister to supervise the FIDF.
Only the finance minister has that authority, he said.
But the prime minister is empowered to oversee the operations of the Finance Ministry, he said.
The two were among four witnesses summoned to testify in court yesterday. The others were Weera Somkhwamkid, secretary-general of the People's Network Against Corruption, who petitioned the National Counter Corruption Commission and the Assets Scrutiny Committee to look into the land deal, and Kalyanee Rutharakarn, secretary-general of the National Debtors Coordination Centre.
Mr Weera asked the court to withdraw bail for Mr Thaksin and Khunying Potjaman, claiming the evidence was convincing enough to link the couple to the snack box containing two million baht cash that one of their lawyers had left with a senior officer at the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions. The court adjourned the case and scheduled the next hearing for July 15.
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