Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra speaks during a news conference in Hong Kong in this July 7, 2007 file photo. Thaksin vented his anger against Swiss banks on Wednesday, telling a local newspaper his accounts had been frozen and that the country's vaunted banking secrecy was a thing of the past. (REUTERS/Bobby Yip)
September 5, 2007
Ousted Thai premier angry with Swiss banks - paper
ZURICH (Reuters) - Ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra vented his anger against Swiss banks on Wednesday, telling a local newspaper his accounts had been frozen and that the country's vaunted banking secrecy was a thing of the past.
"I'm filing a suit against the banks because my money is clean," Thaksin told Swiss newspaper Mittelland Zeitung in extracts from an interview scheduled for publication on Sept. 16.
"Good old bank secrecy is no more. Absolute discretion is a thing of the past," he said.
Graft investigators have frozen $1.5 billion in Thaksin's Thai bank accounts and have issued an arrest warrant for "official misconduct" in a Bangkok land deal.
Swiss banks have also frozen some of Thaksin's money, according to the interview.
Thaksin, a former policeman who became one of Thailand's richest men, has sued a Thai anti-graft panel demanding compensation for damage caused by the order to freeze his assets.
Thailand's military, which ousted Thaksin in September 2006 in a bloodless coup, accused him of presiding over rampant corruption and of showing disrespect to revered King Bhumipol Adulyadej.
But Thaksin defended himself and his family against allegations of corruption. "Neither my family nor I has done anything illegal. It is defamation," he told the Swiss newspaper.
He also criticised the military government's record in office. "The hopes of the country's poor for a better life have been shattered," Thaksin said.
A parliamentary election have been promised for December and Thaksin's supporters last month picked a combative conservative, Samak Sundaravej, to lead their party.
Thaksin ruled out a return to his home country in the short term. He is living in exile in Britain where he has bought Manchester City soccer club for 81 million pounds ($160 million).
Analysts say he bought the club to keep his profile high in Thailand, where English soccer enjoys a strong following.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/9/5/worldupdates/2007-09-05T130208Z_01_NOOTR_RTRMDNC_0_-293451-1&sec=Worldupdates...
