‘Oak’ testifies in KTB scandal case

CRIME: Panthongtae “Oak” Shinawatra, the son of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, has testified before the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) over the multibillion-baht Krungthai Bank (KTB) loan scandal, a DSI source said.

The source said Mr Panthongtae appeared on Wednesday and took about an hour and a half to give his testimony, adding that he may have to provide additional documents to DSI investigators. Mr Panthongtae is among several “witnesses” called in by the DSI to testify in the investigation into a money laundering case linked to the KTB loan scandal.

The scandal involved 9.9 billion baht in loans made to subsidiaries of the Krisdamahanakorn (KMN) real estate company under the Thaksin government.

According to the DSI, there is evidence proving Mr Panthongtae received a 10-million-baht cheque from Wichai Krisdathanon, the owner of KMN, that was cashed into his bank account.