The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has been pressured to unfreeze 3.8 billion baht in assets connected to the embezzlement-hit Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative (KCUC).
The call to return 299 assets seized from ex-KCUC chairman Supachai Srisupa-aksorn was made by incumbent KCUC chairman Padet Mungthanya and members, who turned up at the DSI Wednesday.
According to the petitioners, the Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) wrote to the KCUC chairman saying the agency resolved not to do anything with the seized assets because the civil court had already ruled against Supachai and 17 others in connection with the embezzlement.
They were ordered to pay compensation of 3.8 billion baht to the KCUC, and a legal process to retrieve the money is now under way. According to Amlo, there is no longer any need to pursue the case in line with the money-laundering law. Amlo's resolution, they said, has been sent to the DSI and the Legal Execution Department (LED).
Mr Padet said Amlo also agreed to let the KCUC distribute the assets to the cooperative's members. He said the embezzlement resulted in 17 billion baht in losses and affected 18,000 of the 50,000 members. The KCUC succeeded in returning about one billion baht to its members, or around 11%, of total losses, he said.
If the DSI approves the unfreezing of these 299 assets, the KCUC would be able to ease the grievances of thousands of its members, Mr Padet said. The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has stepped in to provide assistance, he said, adding the DSI should also consider the grievances of the people.
Mr Padet expressed concern about the DSI's decision to seize the assets as evidence while the criminal judicial process is ongoing. "We may have to wait for at least seven or eight years [until the assets are unfrozen]. The members could end up in financial trouble while some may die before getting any money back," he said.
Responding to the petition, DSI deputy spokesman Woranan Srilam said he could not answer the group's demand right away. A team handling the case must convene first to find out why Amlo gave such a response. The meeting will be held on Dec 13 and the DSI will also invite the Cooperative Promotion Department, LED and prosecutors, he said.
