Pojaman Shinawatra, second left, wife of former prime minister Thaksin, is accompanied by her children Paethongtarn, left, Pinthongta, third left, and Panthongtae as they leave the Criminal Court yesterday. Pojaman, her brother and her secretary have been

The office of the Attorney General will be asked to file a criminal graft case against former premier Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife Pojaman in regard to her controversial land purchase in 2003, the Assets Examination Committee (AEC) decided yesterday.

The case will be filed with the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions, AEC spokesman Sak Korsaengruang told reporters after the panel's meeting yesterday evening.

The AEC agreed that Thaksin and Pojaman had violated Articles 100 and 122 of the anti-corruption law, which are aimed at preventing conflicts of interest involving political office holders, and some clauses in the Penal Code, Sak said at a press briefing after the meeting.

The panel also agreed with a proposal from its subcommittee investigating the matter that the block in question and the Bt772 million paid for the land should be seized, the spokesman said.

The AEC argued that as the purchase was unlawful, right of ownership remained with the government's Financial Institutions Development Fund (FIDF). And, money used to commit the alleged wrongdoing should be seized.

Pojaman won the bidding

for the property in question, located on Ratchadaphisek

Road, in 2003, while her hus-band was prime minister.

Sak said panel members discussed all the important legal issues involved in the case at the meeting yesterday before making their decisions.

It was agreed that as a public office holder and supervisor of the FIDF, Thaksin had violated the anti-graft law for allowing his spouse to be engaged in a deal with the state, as it was a conflict of interest. And Pojaman was an accomplice in the wrongdoing, the spokesman said.

Also, Thaksin's written permission as a spouse, allowing Pojaman to bid for the land, pointed to their joint intention to enter into the agreement.

In a separate case, the AEC agreed yesterday that former transport minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit and three senior officials of the State Railway of Thailand committed criminal malfeasance for their roles in the Airport Link project, the elevated rail line from Bangkok city to Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Former premier Thaksin was not named in the case because there was no evidence to implicate him, said AEC secretary Kaewsan Atibodhi, who heads the panel probing the matter.

Budsarakham Sinlapalavan,

Bancha Khaengkhan

The Nation