Thai coup leaders give graft busters more teeth

BANGKOK: Thai coup leaders passed two more laws on Saturday to give their graft busters additional power to go after deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his cabinet ministers suspected of being involved in corruption.   

The first order, announced on national television, broadened the tasks of an anti-graft body they appointed last week to probe allegations of corruption in state projects by top civil servants, on top of their work on Thaksin and his ministers.   

The order specifically authorised the panel to investigate alleged tax evasion bids, apparently referring to the tax-free $1.9 billion sale of Shin Corp, founded by Thaksin, to Singapore state investment firm Temasek Holdings.   

Thai media reported that two top anti-corruption officials were arguing whether the panel was authorised by the coup leaders' previous order to investigate the deal.   

Saturday's order also increased the size of the panel to 12 members from eight and replaced several of them, suspected by the coup leaders of being involved in previous shady government deals, with well-known judges and lawyers.   

The graft busters started their probe last week. It could lead to the seizure of assets of Thaksin and his cabinet if they were found guilty by a court.   

The assets of their wives and children could also be seized if corruption was proved in a probe into whether Thaksin and his cabinet had abused their power "for the benefits of themselves and others", the coup leaders announced last week.   

This special panel will join the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) the coup leaders installed soon after taking power on Sept. 19 to take over the long suspended work of investigating corruption in general.   

That commission had remained without leadership for the last year of Thaksin's government after the top members were fired for giving themselves an illegal pay rise and not replaced.   

In the second order announced on Saturday, the coup leaders gave the NCCC extra power to freeze assets of Thaksin and his ministers if it found out that their revenues or properties had increased; extraordinarily; from their previous declarations.   

The NCCC would then have to hold hearings for the politicians to prove their assets had been legitimately acquired, which would take up to one year, the order said.   

Prime ministers and cabinet ministers are required by law to declare their assets to the NCCC when they take and leave political office. The NCCC will then declare them to the public.