Petition sent over Oak's acquittalPanthongtae Shinawatra: Cleared of all chargesFormer Democrat MP Watchara Phetthong on Monday petitioned the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to investigate Office of the Attorney General (AOG) officials accused of malfeasance over a decision not to appeal against the acquittal of Panthongtae "Oak" Shinawatra. The Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct cleared Mr Panthongtae of charges of conspiring and colluding to launder money on Nov 25 last year. The accusations against Mr Panthongtae were linked to a 10-million-baht cheque he received from a friend with close ties to the Krisda Mahanakorn Group, which had been plagued by non-performing loan issues. Mr Watchara said the decision was unjust because a court judge found Mr Panthongtae guilty and called for a four-year jail term and the Department of Special Investigation, which handled the case, also insisted on an appeal. He said the prosecution's move conflicted with its decision to indict Mr Panthongtae, noting it was strange for public prosecutors to stop pursuing a conviction at the first court.

Source: Bangkok Post June 22, 2020 23:46 UTC