Thaksin relative's assets frozen

Thai News Agency

The Assets Examination Committee on Monday ordered a freeze on an additional 4.775 billion baht ($162 million) in three bank accounts belonging to a brother-in-law of deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

It was the fourth group of assets ordered frozen by the panel in less than a month, following the earlier freeze of 21 bank accounts of Mr. Thaksin worth about Bt52 billion and another Bt8.8 billion on June 18 as well as nearly Bt5 billion in seven bank accounts owned by the deposed prime minister.

AEC spokesman Sak Korsaengruang said the panel has ordered the freezing of accounts owned by Bannapot Damapong, stepbrother of Mr. Thaksin's wife, Khunying Pojaman.

Further assets amounting to Bt4.275 billion will be tracked and frozen later, he said, noting that the panel has already frozen Mr. Bannapot's assets totalling Bt14.925 billion.

Additionally, the AEC spokesman also said that bank accounts of Mr. Thaksin's son, Panthongtae, and sister, Yingluck, are now being examined for a possible freeze.

However, Mr. Sak conceded that value of assets being frozen earlier may not be exactly as announced since some of the monies may have been transferred from the accounts to other locations.

It is the panel's duty to further track the money trail, he affirmed.

The AEC spokesman also said that those whose assets have been ordered frozen still have 60 days to prove that their assets were acquired legally. (TNA)