THAI AUTHORITIES CLOSE TO LAYING HANDS ON SAXENA

       After more than a decade-long legal struggle, authorities now smell victory at hand in their bid to bring back bank fraud suspect Rakesh Saxena from Cananda to stand trial.
       "We don't know yet what the ruling will be, but we're getting prepared to bring Saxena back to Thailand," National Police spokesman General Pongsapat Pongcharoen said yesterday.
       In the morning, representatives from the Office of the Attorney-General, the National Police Office and the Foreign Ministry left for Vancouver with high hopes they would escort Saxena back on Friday after the Supreme Court there delivers its final decision tomorrow on Saxena's appeal against extradition.
       Pongsapat said Saxena could arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport Friday night.
       Once back in Thailand, he will be held in custody at the Crime Suppression Bureau under tight security and 24-hour surveillance.
       During his detention, he will be questioned in order to build up the case against him, with Pol General Pansiri Prapawat assigned as chief interrogator.
       Public prosecutors will then take on the case and are expected to have him arraigned in Criminal Court.
       Acting National Police chief Patheep Tanprasert held a half-hour staff meeting to discuss how to handle Saxena once he entered the country.
       Thailand requested Saxena's extradition in 1996 to stand trial for fraud in connection with an US$88-million (Bt2.94 billion) loan that was never repaid. He was ordered to surrender for extradition in 2003, but in 2006 the order was suspended while Ottawa reconsidered the case in the wake of Thailand's military coup on September 19 of that year.
       Saxena, an international financier, was accused of playing a key role, together with Krirk-kiat Jalichandra, in the collapse of Bangkok Bank of Commerce (BBC). Banking authorities had to contribute Bt100 billion to pay for the damage to BBC. Krirk-kiat has faced a dozen lawsuits over the BBC scandal and still goes to court to defend himself.
       Saxena's extradition case has been running for so long that most political observers have written it off. Next July will see the statue of limitations expire in the case.
       Saxena, who has been kept in house arrest at his luxury residence in Vancouver, has been arguing in court that his safety would be at risk if he were to be ruturned to Thailand.
       Last year, a top British Columbia judge feared Canada might suffer a "black eye" if the "notorious extraditon case" passed tha cut-off date, said a report in an online Canadian newspaper.
       If the longset-running extradition battle in Canadian history is not completed by next July, when the charges become statute-barred, he'll walk free, Canada.com said.
       "Noting that the case has dragged on for 'years and years', BC Appeal Court justice Edward Chiasson said he was worried it would be an embarrassment to Canada if the July 2010 deakline passes and there was no resolution," Canada.com said.
       A political source said the presence of Saxena back in Thailand would become an embarrassment for some key members of the coalition government, who allegedly benefited from the failure of BBC.
       "It seems that the Democrats are trying to keep the Bhum Jai Thai Party at bay by trying to bring Saxena back to Thailand," the political source said.