Shinawatra wife faces graft charges

The wife of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra returned to Thailand after months of exile today to fight her corruption…

The wife of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra returned to Thailand after months of exile today to fight her corruption cases.

Police arrested Potjaman Shinawatra as she landed at Bangkok airport on charges of false stock disclosure and official misconduct, but she was released later on bail.

The case involves her  2003 purchase of some prime Bangkok property from the Financial Institutions Development Fund - a state rescue fund directed by the central bank.

The Supreme Court issued warrants in August for the couple on charges of conflict of interest and fraud. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

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The couple also face arrest over alleged concealment of Mr Shinawatra's ownership of millions worth of shares from the Thai Stock Exchange.

Mr Shinawatra's lawyer said yesterday that the former prime minister planned to return to Thailand from self-imposed exile by mid-April and was also prepared to defend himself in court.

Mr Shinawatra, who owns Manchester City FC, denies any wrongdoing while he was prime minister from 2001 to 2006. He has been living mostly in London since being ousted in a September 2006 military coup.