Thai prosecutors travel to England to try bring back Thaksin

Thai prosecutors met with English officials over the weekend to discuss the extradition of former Thailand primer minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thaksin, who recently completed a takeover of English Manchester City, faces a bevy of corruption charges in his old nation. The military regime that deposed Thaksin has pursued his extradition on those charges. Thaksin also has been blamed by various human rights organisations of numerous civil right violations.

Thaksin, who has denied the corruption charges, has lived in exile in England since the coup. Despite GBP 1.3 billion frozen, Thaksin was able to free enough money to buy the football club for GBP 81.6 million.

A corruption conviction could end Thaksin's reign at Manchester City, as it violate the Premier League's "fit and proper person" test, applied to club owners.

Among the charges are that Thaksin and his wife used their influence to buy prime real estate in Thailand. The purchase was made at less than a third of the estimated value.

There also was an alleged illegal transaction during the tax-free sale of the family's telecom business.

The Thai anti-corruption body said it also would file criminal charges against Thaksin's 25-year-old daughter, Pinthongta, due to her refusal to answer questions about the family's dealings at a hearing in Bangkok. She sent a letter saying it would not be right to give evidence against her parents.

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.