Tax dodgers arrested at polling booth

POLITICS / ELECTION AFTERMATH

Tax dodgers arrested at polling booth

Three high-profile tax dodgers were arrested on Sunday after years on the run when they turned up to vote at a polling station in Pomprap Sattruphai district. Pairat, Paisit and Orawan Chuchinnawat were wanted in a 1.4-billion-baht tax evasion case when they were executives of the Thai Cable Industry, Department of Special Investigation (DSI) deputy director-general Pornchai Assawawattanaporn said.

The DSI and the public prosecutor charged them with tax evasion, punishable by up to seven years in jail and a 200,000 baht fine.

The case surfaced several years ago when Thani Dangpuangpaibool, a member of an activist group, the National People's Assembly, filed a complaint with then deputy prime minister and finance minister Somkid Jatusripitak and then DSI chief Pol Lt-Gen Sombat Amornwiwat over the Revenue Department's failure to collect tax from the company.

Under the complaint, the company had more than 24 billion baht in accounts at various commercial banks, but the money did not show up in company financial records.

Later, the department sued the company. The case was forwarded to the DSI in March this year when the 18 people involved in the case failed to pay the 1.4 billion baht tax bill.

The DSI yesterday took the three to the Criminal Court. They were detained for further questioning.