THAILAND:Thailand's Criminal Court granted bail to the wife of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday after finding her guilty of tax evasion and sentencing her to three years in jail.
The guilty verdict against Potjaman Shinawatra is the first in several lawsuits prepared against Thaksin, his family and associates by anti-graft investigators appointed after a 2006 coup.
"The second defendant was not only supposed to behave herself as a good citizen, she was also meant to be a good role model as the wife of the prime minister," the judge said, reading out the verdict in a televised ruling.
Potjaman, her brother Bannapot Damapong and her secretary were charged with colluding to evade tax worth 546 million baht (€10.5 million) in the transfer of shares in a telecoms firm Thaksin founded.
Potjaman, who is frequently referred to as "The Mistress" by Thai political insiders, remained emotionless as the verdict was delivered.
One of her three children shook her head in dismay and Thaksin appeared to be fighting back tears. Potjaman then walked over to him and patted him on the back.
The three have not said if they would appeal, but their lawyers have said they would take their case up to the Supreme Court.
Although widely expected, the guilty verdict is a blow to Thaksin in his fight to clear his name and return to mainstream political life after his removal from office in 2006 by the military on the pretext of "rampant corruption".