The Bangkok Post
Wednesday July 16, 2008
POST REPORTERS
It is the responsibility of the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to see to it that veteran politician Vatana Asavahame, who is reportedly on the run in Cambodia, is brought back for trial, permanent secretary for justice Kittipong Kittiyarak said yesterday.
Mr Kittipong said only after the verdict in the Samut Prakan politician's case is handed down can the police work with the OAG to bring him to justice.
The court on July 9 seized Mr Vatana's 2.2-million-baht bail and issued a warrant for his arrest after he failed to turn up to hear the verdict. The reading of the verdict was rescheduled for Aug 18.
He was last seen in Cambodia, where he runs two casinos in the Cambodian border town of Poi Pet, opposite Aranyaprathet district in Sa Kaeo.
Unfortunately, Thailand has no extradition treaty with Cambodia.
In the absence of a treaty, all the OAG can do is make a request for Mr Vatana's extradition to the Cambodian authorities, said Mr Kittipong.
Police led by Maj-Gen Sok Pheap will today meet with Cambodian officials in Aranyaprathet district and seek confirmation whether the chief adviser of the Puea Pandin party is hiding across the border, said deputy national police chief Jongrak Juthanont.
Pol Gen Jongrak conceded the chances of bringing him back would be slim if he is really in the neighbouring country, citing the veteran politician's strong business ties in Cambodia.
"The man is confident of his close ties with Cambodia and that's why he has gone into hiding there.
"He built a few casinos, each worth well over 700 million baht," the police general said.
"If Mr Vatana is found guilty of corruption, he must stay on the run for 20 years, until the statute of limitation in the case expires, to avoid arrest.
"Only then can he come back to Thailand, and by then he'll be almost 100 years old," he said.
Mr Vatana, 72, was accused of conspiring in the issuing of illegal title deeds for 1,900 rai of land in Samut Prakan's Bang Bo district, later sold at an inflated price to the Pollution Control Department for the construction of the Klong Dan wastewater treatment plant, when he was the deputy interior minister.
Wednesday July 16, 2008
POST REPORTERS
It is the responsibility of the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to see to it that veteran politician Vatana Asavahame, who is reportedly on the run in Cambodia, is brought back for trial, permanent secretary for justice Kittipong Kittiyarak said yesterday.
Mr Kittipong said only after the verdict in the Samut Prakan politician's case is handed down can the police work with the OAG to bring him to justice.
The court on July 9 seized Mr Vatana's 2.2-million-baht bail and issued a warrant for his arrest after he failed to turn up to hear the verdict. The reading of the verdict was rescheduled for Aug 18.
He was last seen in Cambodia, where he runs two casinos in the Cambodian border town of Poi Pet, opposite Aranyaprathet district in Sa Kaeo.
Unfortunately, Thailand has no extradition treaty with Cambodia.
In the absence of a treaty, all the OAG can do is make a request for Mr Vatana's extradition to the Cambodian authorities, said Mr Kittipong.
Police led by Maj-Gen Sok Pheap will today meet with Cambodian officials in Aranyaprathet district and seek confirmation whether the chief adviser of the Puea Pandin party is hiding across the border, said deputy national police chief Jongrak Juthanont.
Pol Gen Jongrak conceded the chances of bringing him back would be slim if he is really in the neighbouring country, citing the veteran politician's strong business ties in Cambodia.
"The man is confident of his close ties with Cambodia and that's why he has gone into hiding there.
"He built a few casinos, each worth well over 700 million baht," the police general said.
"If Mr Vatana is found guilty of corruption, he must stay on the run for 20 years, until the statute of limitation in the case expires, to avoid arrest.
"Only then can he come back to Thailand, and by then he'll be almost 100 years old," he said.
Mr Vatana, 72, was accused of conspiring in the issuing of illegal title deeds for 1,900 rai of land in Samut Prakan's Bang Bo district, later sold at an inflated price to the Pollution Control Department for the construction of the Klong Dan wastewater treatment plant, when he was the deputy interior minister.
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