'Oak' not implicated in Krungthai loan case - OAG

'Oak' not implicated in Krungthai loan case - OAG

Panthongtae Shinawatra has been called clear of involvement in illegal loans made by Krungthai Bank while his father was prime minister. (Photo by Pattanapong Hirunard)
Panthongtae Shinawatra has been called clear of involvement in illegal loans made by Krungthai Bank while his father was prime minister. (Photo by Pattanapong Hirunard)

State prosecutors say they have no plans to indict the son of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in its investigation of Krungthai Bank’s illegal lending to a real estate developer.

Vinai Damrongmongkolkul, inspector-general of the Office of the Attorney General, told the media on Monday that there currently was no indication that Mr Panthongtae and three associates gained from Thaksin's alleged influencing of Krungthai to make 11 billion baht in loans to developer Krisdamahanakorn.

While there may be grounds for a case against Thaksin's son and the others for receiving stolen property, the OAG is not pursuing it as they are not political office holders and any case could be handled separately through the Criminal Court.

Mr Vinai's comments came after the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions on Wednesday slapped Krungthai's former president and chairman with 18-year prison sentences for lending to Krisdamahanakorn affiliates considered as non-performing debtors.

Thaksin is accused of abusing his prime ministerial position and influencing the Krungthai executives to make the loans.

Kaewsan Atipo, a former member of the Assets Scrutiny Committee, a government panel set up to investigate Thaksin, earlier said the ASC had found that 100 million baht of the KTB loan money might have been transferred to Mr Panthongtae and his associates.

Mr Vinai said Monday, however, that if that occurred, it would have been in 2003 or 2004, after the 11 billion baht in loans at issue in the Supreme Court case were made.

Furthermore, he said, the statute of limitations on the reception of stolen property is only 10 years, drawing into question whether Mr Panthongtae and any of his associates could be prosecuted at all.

Suwana Suwannajuta, director-general of the Department of Special Investigation, which is handling other KTB-related cases, said Monday that the agency was instructed to handle only money laundering offences related to the KTB lending case and was not investigating any alleged reception of stolen property.

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