Amlo freezes assets linked to KCUC scam
Potjaman’s brother thrust under spotlight
The Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) has decided to freeze two plots of land allegedly owned by Bannapot Damapong, as it suspects the plots were part of the 12-billion-baht embezzlement scandal involving the Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative (KCUC).
Amlo secretary-general Chaiya Siriampankul said the asset freeze has been ordered by the Amlo’s committee on financial transactions, which is tracing assets involving KCUC ex-chairman Supachai Srisupa-aksorn, as requested by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).
Mr Bannapot’s sister is Khunying Potjaman na Pombejra, ex-wife of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Supachai is in prison after being sentenced by the Criminal Court to 16 years’ jail after admitting to siphoning money from KCUC accounts in 2013.
He is suspected of using part of the 12 billion baht he embezzled from the KCUC to buy plots of land from M-Home SPV 2 Co, close to Wat Phra Dhammakaya in Pathum Thani’s Klong Luang district, before reselling them.
Pol Gen Chaiya said Mr Bannapot has been found to have purchased two land plots from M-Home SPV 2 in 2011, which he leased in 2016.
The committee has decided to freeze these plots for further investigation as they are allegedly linked with the crimes committed by Supachai in violation of the Anti-Money Laundering Act.
One of the plots covers 11 rai and the other covers three-quarters of a rai.
According to Pol Gen Chaiya, the financial transactions committee has also decided to freeze a six-storey medical care building, Boon Raksa, along with a car park and a one-storey building.
According to the Amlo chief, the property is allegedly connected to property tycoon Anant Asavabhokhin, who bought land plots from M-Home SPV 2 Co and sold them to others for 492 million baht.
Mr Anant donated 303 million baht to the Maha Ubasika Chan Foundation to fund the construction of the Boon Raksa building and other structures. The property has been frozen on suspicion of being used to violate the Anti-Money Laundering Act.
Mr Anant has also been accused by the DSI of laundering money through a land purchase scheme in which the land would be donated to Wat Phra Dhammakaya. Instead, it ended up under his ownership.
Meanwhile, the DSI is expected to decide within this week if it will accept, as a special case, an investigation into two mountaintop properties in Phangnga’s Takua Thung district for alleged forest encroachment.
DSI chief Paisit Wongmuang said the investigators are collecting evidence on the properties, which were inspected by authorities last week.
The properties are allegedly located on part of Khuan Toh La-Laem Sam forest reserve and the DSI suspects land documents were unlawfully issued.
Pol Col Paisit said he is authorised to decide whether the case should be accepted as a special case because it may involve forest encroachment.
If accepted as a special case, the DSI will summon people involved with the properties, he said, adding that one of them is a telecommunications tycoon.