Thai Court Orders Seizure of Over $10 Million in Assets from Ex-DSI Chief Following NACC Probe

EQS Newswire / 17/05/2024 / 10:00 CET/CEST

BANGKOK, THAILAND - Media OutReach Newswire - 17 May 2024 - The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) of Thailand has announced the results of the case involving the former Director-General of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), who was sued on charges of unusual wealth in two separate cases. In the first case, the court ordered the seizure of 341.80 million baht to be forfeited to the state. In the second case, on March 19, 2024, the court ordered the seizure of an additional 44.63 million baht in assets. The total value of the assets confiscated in both cases exceeds 386 million baht or approximately 10.59 million USD.

The NACC's Secretary-General, Mr. Niwatchai Kasemmongkol, acting as a spokesperson for the NACC, recently held a press conference regarding the judgment of the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct, Section 3, in the case of Mr. Tharit Pengdit. While serving as the Director-General of the Department of Special Investigation, Mr. Pengdit was found to have amassed unusual wealth. Consequently, the court ordered the seizure of his assets, totaling 44,630,426 baht, to be forfeited to the state.

The NACC found Mr. Tharit Pengdit, former Director-General of the Department of Special Investigation, guilty of amassing unusual wealth. The investigation revealed a significant increase in his assets and an abnormal decrease in debt, which were properties registered under the names of Mr. Tharit Pengdit, Mrs. Watsamon Pengdit, Mr. Piyarerk Atthakarnrat, Mr. Sanchai Srithongkul, and Piyathanawat Company Limited. Following the NACC's inquiry, the Civil Court issued a judgment. On September 27, 2018, the NACC referred the case to the Attorney General, requesting that the assets be transferred to the government. It was concluded that the accused's assets, totaling 341,797,811.58 baht, along with any interest or derived assets, were to be forfeited to the state.

This pertains to the investigation of the first case, which revealed reasonable grounds to suspect that the accused also possesses other unusually wealthy assets. These assets are registered under the names of Ms. Suthima Chandakoon, Ms. Thanyathorn Danwiboon, Police Lieutenant Colonel Itthiphon Bunphinij, among others, and Mrs. Watsamon Pengdit, the accused's spouse, who used the alias Mrs. Wanthana Phiphatchaisiri, and Mr. Piyarerk Atthakarnrat to purchase a substantial amount of gold bars from Ausiris Company Limited. Consequently, the NACC resolved to conduct a further investigation into Mr. Tharit Pengdit's assets during his tenure as Director-General of the Department of Special Investigation, initiating a second case. The assets under investigation in this second case are separate from those in the first case, which were already subject to the Civil Court's ruling.