Surin: I will answer Thai police charges

"I plan to go back to Bangkok after a date has been arranged (with the police there)," he told StarBiz yesterday in Petailing Jaya.

He would, however, discuss this with his lawyer since it was reported on Wednesday that a Thai court had issued a warrant of arrest for him for failing to meet Thai police on Monday over allegations he illegally represented Singapore's Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd in its takeover of Shin Corp.

Surin said he first received notice to report on Sept 4 to the police in Bangkok. That notice was sent to his house in Bangkok, and it was later forwarded to him by his sister. "I only received the notice (in KL) on Sept 4 itself," he said.

His lawyer arranged for a postponement for Surin to meet the Thai police on Monday, the day he was admitted to hospital for dizziness and was advised by his doctor not to travel.

Even so, he wants to go to Bangkok to meet the police. "I've not done anything wrong," he said over the phone from his office in Kuala Lumpur. "I'm in my office. I'm not in hiding, or running away," he added.

He partnered Temasek to buy a 52% stake in Shin Corp from Thailand's deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The acquisition was structured such that Surin and other Thai partners would own 51% of a holding company formed to buy the Shin Corp stake while Temasek would own an effective 49%. Their combined stake in Shin Corp was later increased to 96% after a general offer for all Shin Corp shares.

Surin, a Thai, has always maintained he is not a nominee of Temasek.

- By By C. S. TAN

The Star/ANN

Publication date: September 27, 2007