11 October 2018
Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s son, Panthongtae Shinawatra, 38, was indicted of money laundering. His supporters condemned the case as politically motivated. Panthongtae Shinawatra went to the attorney general’s office to face the indictment. He was accompanied by both his sisters and many senior members of the Thaksin-backed Puea Thai Party.
After granting bail, the court ordered Panthongtae not to leave the country without permission. Attorney general said that Panthongtae Shinawatra would be prosecuted on charges of money laundering of the amount of $300,000. The charges are linked to an earlier corruption case involving Krungthai Bank in 2015, in which executives of the bank were sentenced to 18 years in prison for extending illegal loans.
Since the ouster of Thaksin’s sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, military junta has held a tight grip on power. It has designed complex new electoral rules that were designed to stop the Thaksin-backed Pheu Thai party from winning a parliamentary majority in the next elections.
Thailand’s Election Commission is seeking to disband Pheu Thai party.
Business Times reported.
