The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions on Friday ordered the seizure of assets worth more than 896 million baht from an aide to former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom for being "unusually wealthy".
The seizure of assets from Weerawut Wajanaphukka, who had served as Boonsong's secretary between August 2012 and June 2013, was sought by the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) after the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) found him guilty of being unusually wealthy in November 2017.
According to the NACC, Dr Weerawut had failed to explain how assets totalling 896,554,760 baht were acquired while he served as an assistant secretary to Deputy Commerce Minister Poom Sarapol from August 2011 to January 2012, and as secretary to Boonsong from August 2012 to June 2013.
Boonsong was senrenced to 42 years in jail and Poom to 36 years for corruption for arranging fake government-to-government (G2G) rice deals when Yingluck Shinawatra was prime minister.
Dr Weerawut was also a defendant in the case. He reportedly fled overseas after the Supreme Court accepted the case for deliberation and a warrant was issued for his arrest. The NACC launched the investigation into his assets in June 2015.
The inquiry panel found that Dr Weerawut, while serving as Boonsong's secretary and Poom's assistant secretary, had more assets than he had reported to the NACC and had transferred these assets to six associates including his ex-wife, Chutima, and his parents.
Only one of the six associates clarified to the inquiry panel how the assets were obtained, but the explanation lacked credibility. Dr Weerawut and the other five associates failed to explain.
The NACC issued the ruling against Dr Weerawut in November 2017 and asked the OAG to seek the confiscation of the assets. He and his associates did not challenge the OAG's asset seizure warrant.
The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions ruled in favour of the prosecution.
Based on the court order, if the assets cannot be seized or can only be partially confiscated, authorities must seize the remainder of the assets within 10 years of the ruling.
Only a defence lawyer turned up to hear the ruling on Friday.
It was reported that the G2G rice case against Dr Weerawut was revived following the enforcement of a new law on criminal procedures for political office-holders that took effect in 2017. It allows the accused to be tried in absentia, and has been used in cases involving fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.