FIDF to sue Potjaman over land

       The Bank of Thailand's Financial Institutions Development Fund will file a civil lawsuit against Khunying Potjaman na Pombejra, the former wife of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, demanding she return 33 rai of Ratchadaphisek land.
       The move comes as the one-year statute of limitations to recover the land expires on Oct 21. Thaksin was convicted over the land sale on Oct 21 last year.
       Lawyers for Khunying Potjaman, who has now adopted her mother's maiden name, insist they will fight the case.
       Bank of Thailand governor Tarisa Watanagase, who chairs the FIDF, said a lawsuit will be lodged to reclaim the 33-rai plot from Khunying Potjaman as directed by the Office of the AttorneyGeneral (OAG).
       FIDF sold the plot to Khunying Potjaman for 772 million baht in 2006.
       FIDF manager Thong-urai Limpiti said the fund had sent a letter of demand to Khunying Potjaman after the OAG had advised the land purchase contract between the two parties had been nullified.She was asked to return the land deeds but refused to do so.
       A source at the central bank said the FIDF offered to return the 772 million baht she had paid for the land in return for the deeds.
       The OAG has advised the fund that its deal with Khunying Potjaman was invalid as the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions had convicted Thaksin of abusing his power while he was prime minister to help his wife purchase the Ratchadaphisek land at a discount.
       Khunying Potjaman refused the offer,saying she had lost the opportunity to earn interest from the 772 million baht that she paid for the land which she was unable to develop for several years, the source said.
       Instead, Khunying Potjaman countered with a demand that the FIDF return the 772 million baht plus the interest it would have earned - a total of 800 million baht.
       Consequently, the FIDF board decided it had no choice but to file a lawsuit against her, the source said.
       Waiwut Lortrakool, the deputy attorney-general, said the OAG would file the civil suit against Khunying Potjaman before the case expires.
       Lawyer Pichit Chuenban said the Shinawatra family legal team had told the FIDF the land deal was not invalid as Khunying Potjaman and Thaksin had done everything according to the law.
       Mr Pichit said the lawyers were confident in the evidence they had prepared for their client.
       Meanwhile, Khunying Potjaman's daughter, Pinthongta Shinawatra, yesterday testified before the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions to fight against the attempt to seize the Shinawatra family's 76 billion baht in assets acquired mainly from the Shin Corp share sale to Singapore-based Temasek Holdings. A public prosecutor claimed the assets were acquired illegally by Thaksin while he was the prime minister from 2001 to 2006.
       Ms Pinthongta told the court about the sources of her family's assets including a diamond mine in Africa. She insisted her family members legally earned all of the assets.
       She denied reports Thaksin had assets worth about 100 billion baht in Britain, saying her father only owned an apartment worth about 70 million baht in London.