Court seizes B21m more from former Pheu Thai MP

Court seizes B21m more from former Pheu Thai MP

Former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, left, and former Pheu Thai Party leader Yongyuth Wichaidit, right, introduce Kasem Nimmonrat, centre, as their candidate for a seat in Chiang Mai in 2012. (File photo)
Former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, left, and former Pheu Thai Party leader Yongyuth Wichaidit, right, introduce Kasem Nimmonrat, centre, as their candidate for a seat in Chiang Mai in 2012. (File photo)

The Supreme Court has confiscated another 21-million-baht of assets from former Pheu Thai MP for Chiang Mai Kasem Nimmonrat, 54, and his wife for amassing unusual wealth, on top of the 168 million baht previously seized.

A bench of nine judges of the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions delivered the ruling on Friday.

The assets seized were two sections of land in tambon Rim Tai of Mae Rim district, Chiang Mai, and shares in Ascon Construction Plc. Their value was estimated at 21.14 million baht.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission found the couple to be unusually wealthy in July last year.

The court ruling said the two blocks of land were purchased on Dec 26, 2014. Payment was made with a Kasikornbank cashier's cheque for 11 million baht, and Kasem paid 800,000 baht in cash as the title transfer fee.

A messenger had paid for the cashier's cheque in cash at Kasikornbank's Chaeng Watthana branch in Bangkok. Between 2013 and 2016 the messenger worked for a company owned by Yaowapa Wongsawat, a former Pheu Thai MP for Chiang Mai and younger sister of fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The messenger had no relationship with Kasem that could justify his paying the 11 million baht for the cheque to buy the land for Kasem, the court stated.

The court also said Kasem declared earnings of 817,556 baht in 2013 and 664,480 baht in 2014 and his wife Duangsuda declared 1.37 million baht in 2013 and 1.16 million baht in 2014. Neither could afford to buy the land and there was no evidence that they withdrew money to buy the cheque.

The court also said Duangsuda's 61.84 million shares worth 9.27 million baht in Ascon Construction were bought with money the court had earlier considered as unusual wealth. The purchase was made when Kasem was a vice president of the Chiang Mai provincial administration organisation.

Kasem, a close aid of Mrs Yaowapa, was represented in court by his lawyer when the ruling was delivered on Friday. His lawyer said he would ask if his client wished to appeal.

On March 16 last year the Supreme Court division sentenced Kasem to 12 months in jail for concealing his wealth and ordered the seizure of assets worth 168 million baht.

The seized assets included the shares in Ascon Construction Plc and in Wyncoast Industrial Park Plc, money from sales of MLINK Asia Corp shares, investment funds in the stock exchange and sections of land in Chiang Mai.

He served his term and was released.

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