Oak submits loan-scandal statement countering charge

Panthongtae Shinawatra, one of four suspects charged by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) for money laundering in the infamous Krungthai Bank (KTB) loan scandal, yesterday had his lawyer submit a counter-statement in his defence to the DSI.

Denying on Oct 18 all charges pressed against them in connection with the scandal, Mr Panthongtae, son of fugitive former prime minister Thaksin, and the other three requested a 60-day period to prepare evidence for the DSI.

Chumsai Sriyaphai, the lawyer representing Mr Panthongtae and who submitted the evidence on his behalf, yesterday dismissed media reports quoting a DSI source as saying his client would ask to extend the deadline.

The lawyer said his presence yesterday proved those reports were wrong.

He was willing to fully cooperate with investigators should they have any further inquiries.

Mr Panthongtae had expressed his concern over the way the DSI is treating suspects in the investigation, which he finds to be a violation of their rights.

DSI chief Pol Col Paisit Wongmuang said Mr Panthongtae may be called in to explain his statement if investigators have more questions for him.

Mr Panthongtae, along with the three other people, is accused of laundering money lent to subsidiaries of property developer Krisdamahanakorn by stateowned Krungthai Bank in 2003 and 2004 when his father, Thaksin Shinawatra, was prime minister, even though the company was a non-performing debtor.

They allegedly received part of a fraudulent KTB loan worth 9.9 billion baht.

All four of them were earlier summoned by the DSI to hear the money-laundering charges, which they did in October.

Earlier, additional information associated with the scandal was submitted by the Anti-Money Laundering Office, which lodged a complaint with the DSI accusing the four of laundering money by receiving cheques tied to the loans.