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Suspicions about slow pace of police inquiry
Bangkok Post – 16 May 2007
POST REPORTERS
The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) will be asked to set up a special committee to investigate police investigators accused of dragging their feet in examining the alleged use of a nominee in the Temasek-Shin Corp deal.
Kiat Sittheeamorn, an adviser to the NLA committee on police and human rights, said the investigation into the alleged use of Kularb Kaew as a nominee for Singapore's Temasek Holdings is moving at a snail's pace. The Commerce Ministry lodged a complaint with police in September last year after conducting its own probe and finding that the deal might have violated the Foreign Business Act.
Mr Kiat said suspicions about a go-slow were raised after police investigators went through what seemed to be an unnecessary process of calling the same witnesses twice for questioning.
''The Kularb Kaew case is a high-profile one and the outcome will set a precedent. So we have agreed to ask the NLA to intervene and find out what is causing the delay,'' he said.
Paisal Pruedmongkol, the committee's spokesman, said the Kularb Kaew case was different from other cases in that the ministry had looked into the allegations and detected malfeasance.
Moreover, it involved the telecommunications sector with national security at stake, he said.
Mr Paisal said the committee will ask the police in charge of the case to give an explanation for the delay, and if the investigators fail to come up with a sound reason the committee will recommend an investigation be made.
Director-general of the Department of Special Investigation Sunai Manomai-udom said the agency will summon Panthongtae Shinawatra and some Krung Thai Bank executives to testify over the extension of a loan by the bank while his father, ousted prime minister Thaksin, was in power.
The DSI chief said Mr Pantongtae was one of the people who benefited from the loan that was suspected to have been improperly approved.
Former prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh yesterday called on the Council for National Security not to put too much pressure on Mr Thaksin.
Gen Chavalit insisted that Mr Thaksin was still capable of serving the country.
Gen Chavalit is expected to consult politicians close to him before making a decision next month on whether to re-enter politics.
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