| Govt denies Amlo probe prejudiced - Securities watchdog calls for share inquiry - Bangkok Post, September 13, 2004 ...Mr Pongthep said the agency may launch inquiries into other suspect pyramid-share schemes that did not make the news. The course of justice was free and fair and the government did not meddle with the process, he said. Pol Maj-Gen Peeraphan was appointed to Amlo well before the government took office and he is known for his honesty... Even the Constitutional Court could not say for certain how far back in time the asset seizure inquiry could go. The opposition leader said the Amlo law could only be enforced against assets generated from laundering, not those made honestly afterwards... |
AMLO PROBE: Ekkayuth safe, says expert - The Nation, September 13, 2004 ...The legal expert said yesterday that any attempt by the AMLO to freeze Ekkayuth’s assets by launching a fraud case in relation to his failed pyramid scheme in 1985 would have no legal backing and, therefore, be a wasted effort. ...The AMLO was mistaken in claiming that the Constitutional Court had made a ruling that allowed it to pursue suspects charged prior to 1999, he said, adding that the court had not in fact resolved the legal issue. ...Ekkayuth said he believed he was being followed in the wake of his revelation against the government officials. "I will fight this all the way even though my life is in danger," he said. "I got threats to kill me and my family but they didn’t scare me. Thailand is not democratic today. People are threatened every day, including my friends.”... |
The Nation, while purporting to be perplexed by Akeyuth's motives, takes the opportunity to point out that all the powers of the state have been turned on a critic of the PM, hinting that this means there may be truth behind Akeyuth's accusations.
| Ekkayuth could help his case with some proof - Bangkok Post, September 13, 2004 Why he chose to target Thai Rak Thai is anybody's guess. But it is assumed his statement was in retaliation to calls by members of the party for an investigation into the source of his political donations... To most political pundits, Mr Ekkayuth would appear to be embarking on an impossible mission. Mr Thaksin will surely be re-elected for a second term in the next general election in less than six months' time, even after his party's humiliating defeat in the Bangkok governor election in which it supported Pavena Hongsakula. The ruling party commands popular support in rural areas through its populist programmes and political gimmicks, although it may not be able to capture the 400 seats it so desires in the lower house... To boost his questionable credibility, Mr Ekkayuth should stop playing games of hide-and-seek and present the Securities and Exchange Commission with the evidence he claims to possess of stock manipulation. When he does that then we can be assured he is the real deal. |
OVERDRIVE: Is Ekkayuth a tiger at large or just crying wolf? - The Nation, September 10, 2003 ...We don’t know yet what Ekkayuth is really up to or who is behind him. We do know with certainty that he has already become an enemy of the state. All state agencies have suspended their normal business so that they can focus on going after Ekkayuth. He has been cast as a dangerous fugitive who could undermine the security of the state. Police officers at the Central Investigation Bureau and the Economic Crime Suppression Unit are digging into Ekkayuth’s past and seeking to learn about his contacts. The Anti-Money Laundering Office is looking at the possibility of confiscating his assets. The Justice Ministry is looking at the possibility of re-opening the Charter Investment “pyramid-sales” case, in which Ekkayuth was one of the prime suspects. The Securities and Exchange Commission is threatening to put him in jail and fine him if he fails to show up on Monday to provide more evidence for his claim of price manipulation of the bank warrant SCIB-C1. The Revenue Department is probing whether Ekkayuth has properly paid his taxes. Prosecutors are weighing whether he could be brought to court again... |