Thursday, 17 July 2008

Cambodia: no sign of former Thai minister in Cambodia

MCOT English News
16 July 2008

SA KAEO, July 16 (TNA) -- Senior Cambodian officials said Wednesday that escaped Thailand's former deputy interior minister Vatana Asavahame has not been seen in Cambodia, according to Thailand's deputy national police chief Pol. Gen. Jongrak Juthanont.

Gen. Jongrak early Wednesday met with ranking Cambodian authorities at a hotel in Thailand's border district of Aranyaprathet and requested them to help repatriate Mr. Vatana who had jumped bail.

Last Wednesday, a Thai court seized Mr. Vatana's Bt2.2 million bail guarantee and issued a warrant for his arrest after he failed to appear in court to hear the verdict in a corruption case.

Gen. Jongrak earlier this week said that Mr. Vatana was hiding at a casino inside a resort hotel in the Cambodian border town of Poi Pet, opposite Aranyaprathet. Mr. Vatana is reportedly the biggest shareholder in the Grand Diamond City Casino.

At the meeting, Cambodian officials had asked Thailand to send the court verdict but Gen.
Jongrak said he had told them it was impossible because the court had not yet passed its verdict against Mr. Vatana, accused of massive corruption in a wastewater treatment project in Bangkok's neighbouring province of Samut Prakan.

He said Cambodian officials had promised him they would charge Mr. Vatana of illegally entering Cambodia if they found the former deputy interior minister, and send him back to Thailand. (TNA)

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