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BKK Post, March 19, 1998. SALWEEN S
- Subject: BKK Post, March 19, 1998. SALWEEN S
- From: burma@xxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1998 22:07:00
March 19, 1998. SALWEEN SCANDAL / FURTHER DEVELOPMENT
Police move to arrest Prawat and Vinai
Fingerprints point to key suspects
Anucha Charoenpo
Police asked the Interior Ministry yesterday to approve warrants for the
arrest of Prawat Thanadkha and Vinai Panitnanuban in the
five-million-baht bribe scandal.
Pol Maj-Gen Vasana Permlarp, deputy commissioner of the Central
Investigation Bureau, said police have evidence to back charges against
the deputy forestry chief and logging operator.
"They won't get away with it," he said. "All the evidence points to
them."
Among the evidence is a record of the withdrawal of five million baht
from Bank of Ayudhya's Bang Khane branch and fingerprints of Mr Vinai
and those of the bank staff found on bank notes, he said.
"The prints match those of Mr Vinai and the bank staff. Apart from that,
we have Mr Vinai's driver to testify against him," he said.
According to Pol Maj-Gen Vasana, the driver said he took Mr Vinai to Mr
Prawat's house on the day the bribe was allegedly handed over.
In the letter to the Interior Ministry, police said they believed Mr
Prawat decided to donate the money to the Thai-help-Thai Fund after he
knew he could not help Mr Vinai.
The bribe, police said, was linked to a number of illegal logs seized in
Tak. The logs are allegedly owned by Mr Vinai, owner of Saha Vanakij
Sawmill Co.
Mr Prawat has been accused of violating Article 144 of the Criminal Code
in accepting a bribe, and Mr Vinai by offering a kickback to a state
official.
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