Source: Manager.co.th
Pojaman Shinawatra, the former Thai prime minister’s (Thaksin’s) wife, was found guilty of tax evasion and sentenced to three years in prison. She was released on $ 5 million baht or $149,000 bail. The family is planning to appeal the verdict, according to Thai news sources.
The decision of this case is rather surprising and disappointing. By 2001, Thaksin was acquitted on a similar charge. This time around was different. The pro-thaksin government and the Thai judicial system are under the pressure to “make things right.” Yesterday’s verdict was nothing. The court showed that it has the ability to convict anyone regardless of one’s socioeconomic status. However, Thaksin, his wife and his allies are acting above the law. The fact that Pojaman, Thaksin’s wife, was released on a 5 million baht bail bothers me; it’s too little.
The court should have given her the harshest sentence. Compare to how much the Shinawatra stole the money from Thailand–this verdict was nothing. The Shinawatra family stole more than billions of bath from Thailand. Everyone in that family should be in jail for life, period.
What makes me mad the most is that after the verdict, the judge granted the family to go see the Olympics game in China. He allows them to leave Thailand and what happens if they don’t come back to face the court? Remember, Thaksin’s trial starts a few days after the summer Olympics started. Oh, did I mention that he owns a soccer team in England?
Just think about it.
Filed under: Blogging, International Politics, News, Politics, Thailand, Thoughts , Corruption, Pojaman, Shinawatra, Thai politics, Thailand, Thaksin, Thaksin's wife
