Thaksin denies graft charges in court

By Amit Baruah

SINGAPORE, JUNE 18. The Thailand Prime Minister, Mr. Thaksin Shinwatra, today said errors in declaring his assets could be attributed to ``oversight'' and not any ``intention to conceal'' his enormous wealth.

Delivering a statement before the Constitutional Court, which can oust him as Prime Minister, Mr. Thaksin said in Bangkok that it was never his intention to conceal his wealth.

The Prime Minister, who is a telecom tycoon, told the court that he had acquired his wealth before he became a politician. ``I ask the court to take into consideration my integrity as a person and as a politician before making the ruling on the asset concealment case levelled against me by the NCCC (National Counter-Corruption Commission),'' Mr. Thaksin said.

``My future as the Prime Minister and the chance to serve the people of Thailand depend on the court's verdict,'' he said. If convicted, Mr. Thaksin will be disqualified from holding office as an MP for five years.

Maintaining that he had been trying to solve Thailand's problems since taking office four months ago, the Prime Minister said he had tried to ensure that this case did not ``distract'' him from his work.

The Prime Minister said that forms put out by the NCCC were confusing. ``I had no intention of concealing my wealth,'' Mr. Thaksin said in his statement.

``I would have filled accurate asset statements if the NCCC had me fill in well-designed forms,'' Mr. Thaksin took the view.

Clearly, he adopted a conciliatory approach towards the court, pointing to technical issues while stressing that any errors were an honest mistake, not a deliberate cover-up.

Delivering the concluding statement for the prosecution, Mr. Klanarong Chatink, NCCC secretary-general, said: ``All holders of high political offices are required by the Constitution to report their assets truthfully and accurately... The NCCC found that the accused (Mr. Thaksin) intentionally concealed his assets through a web of well-thought out share transactions.

``Thaksin is accused of asset concealment by transferring his wealth to domestic servants... at least 16 servants and associates of Thaksin and his wife were known to have taken assets worth billions of baht,'' the prosecutor stated.

``The proceeding has nothing to do with whether the assets are honestly acquired or not... I respect Thaksin's position as a highly popular political leader. But the NCCC must seek to uphold the principle laid down by the Constitution,'' Mr. Klanarong maintained.

With today's closing statements, the submissions before the Constitutional Court have come to an end. Now, it is up to the court to decide the fate of Mr. Thaksin, elected by a massive majority to office.

Of late, some popular pressure has been mounted in defence of the Prime Minister, but it is evident that the mechanism that will decide the case is a constitutional one.

The verdict will also be a test of the country's democracy and Constitution. All eyes are now on the court whose verdict is expected in a couple of months.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : International
Previous : Mbeki says no to a hug from Winnie
Next     : Musharraf has no mandate to visit India: Jamaat