Ex Thai PM 'Frank' Shinawatra Going Down
Former Thai Prime Minister and honorary chairman of Manchester City Thaksin Shinawatra (or 'Frank' as Citeh fans affectionately call him), 59, has been found guilty of corruption Tuesday and sentenced to two years in prison by a Thai court.
The country's former leader was ousted by a 2006 military coup after being accused of corruption and abuse of power. He subsequently jumped bail and fled to England along with his wife, Pojaman, 51, who was sensationally acquitted Tuesday.
Thai authorities are now expected to begin efforts to extradite Thaksin.
The charges stemmed from allegations that Thaksin facilitated his wife's purchase of lucrative Bangkok real estate from a state agency in 2003, while he was prime minister.
The court case Tuesday stemmed from Pojaman Shinawatra's $23 million purchase of a 13.2-acre plot of land in central Bangkok, from the Financial Institutions Development Fund, a government agency. It was estimated to be worth three times what she paid.
What's that song they used to sing at Man Citeh?
Sung to The Proclaimers tune "I Would Walk 500 Miles"
OH YOU CAN FREEZE 500 MILLION
AND YOU CAN FREEZE 500 MORE
COS FRANKIE BOY HAS GOT 10 BILLION
UNDERNEATH HIS BEDROOM FLOOR
SHINAWATRA,SHINAWATRA,
SHINAWATRA,SHINAWATRA,
Or summat like that anyway. He won't want to be bending down to check under his bedroom floor in the infamous "Bangkok Hilton" now will he?
The country's former leader was ousted by a 2006 military coup after being accused of corruption and abuse of power. He subsequently jumped bail and fled to England along with his wife, Pojaman, 51, who was sensationally acquitted Tuesday.
Thai authorities are now expected to begin efforts to extradite Thaksin.
The charges stemmed from allegations that Thaksin facilitated his wife's purchase of lucrative Bangkok real estate from a state agency in 2003, while he was prime minister.
The court case Tuesday stemmed from Pojaman Shinawatra's $23 million purchase of a 13.2-acre plot of land in central Bangkok, from the Financial Institutions Development Fund, a government agency. It was estimated to be worth three times what she paid.
What's that song they used to sing at Man Citeh?
Sung to The Proclaimers tune "I Would Walk 500 Miles"
OH YOU CAN FREEZE 500 MILLION
AND YOU CAN FREEZE 500 MORE
COS FRANKIE BOY HAS GOT 10 BILLION
UNDERNEATH HIS BEDROOM FLOOR
SHINAWATRA,SHINAWATRA,
SHINAWATRA,SHINAWATRA,
Or summat like that anyway. He won't want to be bending down to check under his bedroom floor in the infamous "Bangkok Hilton" now will he?