An anti-graft panel Monday ordered 8 billion baht (US$245.7 million) in assets belonging to the family of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra frozen, following up a similar action it took last week.

The Asset Examination Committee had already frozen 52.88 billion baht (US$1.63 billion) believed to be proceeds from the Shinawatra family's 73.3 billion baht (US$1.9 billion) sale last year of telecommunications company Shin Corp to Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd, a Singapore state investment company. It alleged there was reason to believe the deal involved corruption.

Sak Korsaengruang said the committee determined that the 8 billion baht had been shifted out of the earlier frozen bank accounts shortly before the order was issued covering them.

Meanwhile, Thailand's state prosecutor agreed to submit to court a criminal case charging ousted Shinawatra and his wife with wrongdoing in connection with a controversial land purchase, radio news reports said.

Attorney-General Phatchara Yutithamdamrong said at a news conference that he will submit a lawsuit on Thursday to the branch of the Supreme Court that handles cases of political office holders, the INN radio news network and 105 FM Wisdom Radio reported.

The attorney-general's office also recommended that the plot of land purchased by Thaksin's wife Pojamarn be seized, reports said.

The court will have to accept the case for it to proceed.

Thaksin was toppled by a bloodless coup last September, and has been targeted by several investigations into alleged corruption and abuse of power.

Last month, the Assets Examination Committee - established by the coup makers - decided to recommend to prosecutors that Thaksin and his wife be brought before the Supreme Court on charges of conflict of interest and malfeasance in connection with the land deal.

The case involves Pojamarn's 2003 purchase of some prime Bangkok real estate from the Financial Institutions Development Fund, which is directed by the central bank.

An anti-corruption law bars prime ministers or their spouses from doing business with a government agency, and the Assets Examination Committee said Thaksin as prime minister ultimately oversaw the FIDF.

The conflict of interest and malfeasance charges each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

(China Daily via agencies June 19, 2007)