Kamnan tells court he was paid B20,000 by Yongyuth

Former House speaker Yongyuth Tiyapairat asked 10 kamnan from Chiang Rai to help his sister win a seat in the Dec 23 general election, the Supreme Court was told on the opening day of a vote-buying case against him. At the Supreme Court's election cases division, Chaiwat Changkaokham, a 52-year-old kamnan of Chiang Rai's Mae Chan district, testified in a case brought by the Election Commission. Mr Chaiwat said each of the kamnan was paid 20,000 baht. He said that in October last year he was contacted by Mr Yongyuth's aide, asking him to travel to Bangkok to meet Mr Yongyuth, with fellow kamnan from the same district and Banjong Yangyuen, municipal mayor of tambon Janjawa. His group agreed to travel to Bangkok on Oct 28, 2007. They met Mr Yongyuth at a hotel. Mr Yongyuth asked them to help canvass for his sister, La-ong Tiyapairat, a constituency MP candidate for the People Power party (PPP), and other PPP candidates, Mr Chaiwat told the court. After his group agreed to support Miss La-ong and other candidates who were Mae Chan natives, Mr Yongyuth left the hotel room where they met, Mr Chaiwat said. Mr Banjong then allegedly gave each member of the group an envelope containing 20,000 baht in cash, saying: ''The boss asked me to give this to you.'' Mr Chaiwat said his group returned to Chiang Rai the next day. Shortly after getting back, Special Branch Police took them to Chiang Rai police station for questioning about the Bangkok trip. The testimony yesterday was interrupted by policemen from Mae Chan police station in Chiang Rai who asked to arrest Mr Chaiwat on an attempted murder charge. The court refused to let police arrest Mr Chaiwat away until he has finished testifying. Source Bangkok Post 9th May 2008

One must take ones hat off to Khun Chaiwat for not takling bribes even in the face of death threats???

Auditor-General Jaruvan Maintaka yesterday stepped forward to show moral support for Virachai Plasai, former director-general of the Treaties and Legal Affairs Department, who was transferred to an inactive post at the Foreign Ministry. Khunying Jaruvan, also a member of the Assets Scrutiny Committee (ASC), said she admired the performance of Mr Virachai and deplored the transfer.She said she will take a bouquet of flowers for Mr Virachai at the ministry on Monday.She also posted a message praising him at the website of Matichon daily newspaper.In her message, she gave moral support to Mr Virachai and expressed disappointment over his treatment by those in power.He has been transferred to an inactive post of ambassador attached to the ministry. Some reports say that Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama was unhappy with his role in negotiations with Phnom Penh over the disputed ancient Preah Vihear temple. An army source said Mr Virachai was pressured to compromise Thailand's interests in the Preah Vihear temple dispute to benefit certain politicians who work with Cambodian businessmen in submitting energy concessions in Cambodia. Mr Noppadon denied the transfer was politically motivated.

We wonder if this has anything to do with Thaksin wanting to start a Casino in KoKong.

The lightning transfer of Virachai Plasai, chief of the Treaties and Legal Affairs Department and a chief negotiator in the Preah Vihear row with Cambodia, is related to his role in the CTX bomb scanners investigation, not his handling of the temple dispute, sources at the ministry said. Mr Virachai was said to have refused a demand by certain politicians who wanted to see classified documents in the CTX case, unless they provided a written request since the documents would be used in court. Source Bangkok Post 9th May 2008

ASC may file Thaksin graft charge Monday

Ex-premier, associates targets of CTX KING-OUA LAOHONG

The Assets Scrutiny Committee (ASC) is likely to conclude on Monday whether to file an indictment against deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his close associates for alleged corruption in the CTX 9000 bomb scanners purchase case. A source at ASC said the committee's sub-panel investigating alleged corruption in the CTX 9000 purchase for Suvarnabhumi airport would explain five remaining legal issues in its investigation report, out of 21 issues before the ASC. The sub-panel has recommended the ASC take legal action against 23 suspects, including Mr Thaksin, other prominent politicians and senior officials, based on 21 legal issues. The ASC has finished considering 16 of them. The other five are expected to be concluded on Monday. The conclusion was based on evidence in Thailand and from the US, the country that supplied the 26 CTX scanners, which cost about four billion baht.

Other well-known figures named as suspects include former transport minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit; New Bangkok International Airport Co (NBIA) board chairman Srisuk Chandrangsu; Somchai Wongsawat, former Airports of Thailand (AoT) board chairman; former NBIA board members ACM Kongsak Wantana, Attorney-General Chaikasem Nitisiri, and Worapoj Yasadatt, better known as Sia Che, owner of the CTX local distribution firm. The source said initially the sub-panel has accused 25 suspects, but eventually decided to take legal action against 23 suspects only. ASC spokesman Sak Korsaengruang said the sub-panel would suggest the ASC name suspects who included politicians, former AoT board members and business people involved in the baggage handling system deal. Mr Sak said Mr Chaikasem was a suspect because he sat on the AoT board that approved the baggage handling system and the purchase of the CTX scanners. If the ASC agrees with the sub-panel's investigation, indictments against the suspects would be forwarded to the Office of the Attorney-General for consideration. Earlier, the ASC filed a lawsuit against suspects in the 2003 two- and three-digit lottery case at the Supreme Court's Crime Division for Holders of Political Positions. The court will rule on Wednesday if it will consider the case.The ASC filed the lawsuit in the Supreme Court on its own following a disagreement between ASC and public prosecutors in the Office of the Attorney-General who were at first expected to lodge the indictments. Source Bangkok Post 9th May 2008

Political veteran Vatana Asavahame on Thursday to the final stand to defend himself on alleged involvement in the land scam relaing to the construction of Klongdan waste treatment plant. Vatana told the Supreme Court that his graft charges were a frameup instigated by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra who wanted to force him to pledge loyalty to the then ruling Thai Rak Thai Party in 2003. The Nation

CTX pressure growsat Foreign Ministry

Many officials at the Foreign Ministry are seeking a transfer to avoid political pressure from politicians trying to access confidential information on the procurement of the scandal-tainted CTX luggage scanners. Pikulkaeo Krairirk, chairwoman of the Senate foreign affairs committee, said a complaint has been received from a senior official of the foreign ministry's secretariat. The official decided to seek a transfer after receiving an ''unfair order'' from above that he find and hand over all the documents on the Suvarnabhumi airport luggage scanners that could weaken the case against members of the former Thaksin Shinawatra government. The Foreign Ministry had earlier been informed by the US Department of Justice about price manipulation in the deal. It concerns bribery related to the multi-billion-baht import of the 26 computer tomography X-ray (CTX) machines. Withdrawal of the information requires a signature and the senior official who has access to the information has been pressured by some powerful politicians to sign the request, she said. Itwas reported that even the foreign minister had no direct access to the information. Ms Pikulkaeo said she would bring the matter to the attention of her senate committee and invite Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama to clarify the allegation.

Mr Noppadon used to be a lawyer working for Mr Thaksin. Ms Pikulkaeo said she would also ask Mr Noppadon whether any politicians were unhappy with the former director-general of the Treaties and Legal Affairs Department because he protected the confidential information. The papers could possibly be used by investigators to nail those who had personally gained from the scanner procurement. The director-general of the Treaties and Legal Affairs Department, Virachai Plasai, was suddenly replaced last week by the minister. Ms Pikulkaeo said many other government officials at the Foreign Ministry were under similar pressure and had sought transfers. She had received anonymous complaints from many others. Eight officials from the Office of the Auditor-General and about 50 other people turned up at the Foreign Ministry yesterday to support Mr Virachai. Source Bangkok Post 13th May 2008

Yongyuth files complaint against poll fraud case witness

Former house speaker Yongyuth Tiyapairat Tuesday had his lawyer file a complaint with police accusing a prime witness in the electoral fraud case of filing a false testimony against him with the Supreme Court. Pol Lt Kan Thiankaew, People Power Party deputy leader filed the complaint with crime suppression police accusing kamnan Chaiwat Changkaokam of Tambon Chanchawa, Chaiang Rai's Mae Chan District of filing false testimony with the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders last week. Chaiwat was a state witness in the case the Election Commission disqualified Yongyuth accusing him of offering money to a group of kamnan including Chaiwat to vote for his sister and PPP MPs The Nation May 13th 2008