“Pastrygate” scandal intensifies
BANGKOK (Daily Xpress): Top Supreme Court Justice Kriengchai Jungchatupit says he would have arrested the lawyer suspected of attempting to bribe judges “on the spot”.
“If I had been there, I would have arrested him on the spot,” says Kriengchai. “I would not have let him take the money back. I would have charged him with contempt.
“I have learned that the person who brought the money to the court was arguing a case before the court earlier.”
At lunchtime on Tuesday, a lawyer, believed to represent a politician, left a box of pastries filled with 2 million baht in banknotes with a senior court official as he submitted court documents.
The parcel and cash were photographed and returned to the lawyer.
“I was surprised the lawyer dared give 2 million baht to a court official,” Kriengchai says. “That’s a lot of money. When the official looked inside the box, he was shocked. He called a judge who was passing by.”
Three senior judges are investigating the incident. There is no word as to when they will reach a conclusion.
A lawyer for ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra, Pichit Chuenban, denies he was the one trying to bribe the court.
“Our lawyers are not involved in this. We know the court will find this to be true, too,” Pichit says.
Pichit admits he and other lawyers representing the Shinawatras were at the court on the day in question. They were filing a motion on behalf of Thaksin and wife Pojaman, he says, insisting they were there but brought nothing with them except legal documents.
