A deluge of court cases, decisions upcoming

Starting today, the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders is scheduled to announce whether it will accept to hear the two-and three-digit lottery case.

The lawsuit was filed by the now-defunct Assets Examination Committee (AEC) against the Thaksin Cabinet, including former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and 47 former ministers, accusing them of malfeasance for issuing the July 8, 2003 cabinet resolution to implement the two-and three-digit lottery.

The court decision will have far-reaching political consequences because among the accused are three current ministers: Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Surapong Suebwonglee, Labour Minister Uraiwan Thienthong and Deputy Transport Minister Anurak Jureemas.

Tomorrow, the Constitution Tribunal will hear a petition filed by a group of senators seeking the disqualification of Deputy Commerce Minister Virun Techapaibul for allegedly violating the Constitution for holding shares exceeding the legal limit of 5 per cent.

Both sides are summoned to give testimony at 9.30am.

The case to be tried

on Wednesday is nothing short of gigantic when

the Supreme Court's Criminal Division of Political Office Holders is scheduled to announce the decision on whether to accept the Exim Bank loan case.

Thaksin is accused of abusing his position to order a one-billion-baht increase in the amount of loans to Burma, allegedly for the benefit of his family's satellite and broadband businesses. A total of four billion baht was extended to the Burmese government to improve its infrastructure and telecom sector in 2004. This came with the condition that the Burmese government purchase materials from the Shinawatra family's Shin Corp.

On Thursday, the Criminal Court will issue a verdict at 9am on the tax evasion case against Khunying Pojaman Shinawatra and her adopted brother - Banaphot Damapong, and Kanchana Honghern, her personal secretary.

The Attorney General filed the suit accusing the three of intentionally avoiding tax payments through fraud totalling Bt546 million for the sale of 4.5 million shares of Shinawatra Computer and Communications Plc worth Bt738 million. They were accused of violating Article 37 (1) (2) of the Code of Revenue and Article 83 and 91 of the Criminal Law.