Thai Graft Buster Sues Cabinet Ministers on Lottery Case

An anti-graft agency lodged a suit before the Supreme Court on Monday to accuse a group of former government officials under the Thaksin administration, including three current cabinet ministers, of misconduct in a government lottery scheme.

The indictment by Thailand 's Assets Examination Committee (AEC) concerns a resolution by the former Thaksin Shinawatra-led government on July 8, 2003 to launch the two and three-digit lottery.

The draws of the lottery started on Aug. 1, 2003 and continued until Nov. 26, 2006, when the plan was aborted by a military- appointed interim government, two months after a military coup ousted the Thaksin administration in that September.

The AEC has listed a total of 47 people, including Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Surapong Suebwonglee, Labour Minister Uraiwan Thienthong and Deputy Transport Minister Anurak Jureemart in the current government, as defendants.

Others accused include former cabinet ministers of the Thaksin government and officials of the Government Lottery Office (GLO).

The AEC accused the 47 defendants of violating articles of the Criminal Code and the 1959 Offences Committed by State Officials Act.

The alledged irregularities in the lottery scheme caused a state revenue loss of 36.9 billion baht (1.15 billion U.S. dollars) , which covered those for the GLO, Finance Ministry and Interior Ministry, and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, according to the AEC's indictment.

The AEC asks the Supreme Court to order the 47 defendants to pay the damages.

AEC will recommend Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej order the suspension of the three cabinet ministers indicted.

The AEC had earlier submitted the case to the Office of the Attorney-General and recommended it indict the 47 people. But the Office told the ASC to re-investigate the case.

The AEC then decided to bypass the Office and take the case directly to the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for holders of political positions.

2008-03-17

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