Thaksin's Dubai lawyer jailed

3 billion of 10.3 billion baht from sale of Manchester City disappeared. Dubai Lawyer found responsible & jailed.

Dubai lawyer jailed for cheating Thaksin

15/07/2012

The lawyer who handled Thaksin Shinawatra's sale of Manchester City has been sentenced to three years in prison for breach of trust after three billion baht of the transfer funds disappeared.

The National newspaper of Dubai reported that the lawyer, identified only as "KM, 45" years old, was acquitted on charges of embezzlement and forgery.

The National described him as "an Emirati partner and manager of a well-known Dubai law firm."

He denied all the charges in the Thaksin case, the newspaper reported.

It quoted his statement to the court: "I am a military justice chief and have a clean record, and by God's grace it will remain clean." 

The court disagreed, and found him guilty of involvement in the disappearance of 60 million UK pounds (just over three billion baht at today's exchange rates, or $95.3 million).

According to the court, he was Thaksin's lawyer when the former prime minister sold City in 2008 to Abu Dhabi.

The lawyer's firm controlled an escrow account in which funds for the sale were held. He was accused last March of embezzling 60 million pounds of the 150 million in the account. Prosecutors charged that he has already used 339.5 million to buy a personal villa.

The apparent misuse of the money came to light after Thaksin asked the lawyer to help to transfer a quarter of the money to a bank account in Montenegro, where Thaksin is reportedly a citizen.

Instead, the records show, the lawyer convinced Thaksin to keep the money in the UAE legal firm's account.

The Dubai court heard that the lawyer also tried to forge ownership papers on a Bombardier jet owned and used by Thaksin.

The defence reportedly attempted to claim that Thaksin had no legal standing in the case because the law firm had acted on behalf of UK Sports, not the deposed premier. The Dubai judge also rejected defence demands that the court consider corruption charges pending against Thaksin.

The convicted lawyer is expected to appeal his conviction and prison sentence, The National report said.

Thaksin sold Manchester City in 2008, after just 16 months at the helm. He sold it to Sheikh Mansour of Abu Dhabi for a reported 210 million pounds, about 10.3 billion baht. The UK media reported he made a profit of about 20 million pounds, or 983 million baht.

(Source: Bangkok Post, Dubai lawyer jailed for cheating Thaksin, 15/07/2012, link)


Law Vocabulary

cheating - to gain from other people by lieing and not being honest with them in dealings การโกง การคดโกง
Dubai lawyer jailed for cheating Thaksin

sentenced - given a jail term for committing a crime
sentenced to three years in prison

breach - break a promise or agreement; to fail to follow a law or rule ละเมิดกฎข้อบังคับ  

trust - a situation in which someone is made responsible for another person or thing ความเชื่อมั่น believing in someone (believing that they will do as promised and not hurt you), when people have confidence in each other (so they can work together effectively)

breach of trust - when a person breaks a promise and arrangement to do something

transfer - give from one person or group to another; to official arrange for someone else to be the owner of something โอน
funds - money in bank accounts; money needed or available to spend on something เงินทุน

transfer funds - move money from one bank account to another bank account

The lawyer who handled Thaksin Shinawatra's sale of Manchester City has been sentenced to three years in prison for breach of trust after three billion baht of the transfer funds disappeared.

acquitted - found not guilty (of a crime by a court of law)
charges - criminal case brought against a person

embezzlement (noun) - to steal money that belongs to your employer, money that you are responsible for การยักยอกเงิน, การฉ้อโกงเงิน (See Wikipedia)
embezzling (verb)

forgery - the crime of making illegal copies of something valuable, especially in order to earn money การปลอมแปลงเอกสาร

acquitted on charges of embezzlement and forgery

identified - named ระบุชื่อ

The National newspaper of Dubai reported that the lawyer, identified only as "KM, 45" years old, was acquitted on charges of embezzlement and forgery.

partnership - a business partnership; a legal relationship between people who own a business together and share the profits and risks; different from a corporation (See Wikipedia)
partner - one owner of a business in a partnership

law firm partner - law firms are usually partnerships and not corporations
Emirati partner

firm - a business or company บริษัท
law firm - a group of lawyers running a business selling their legal services (See Wikipedia)

denied - said it was not true
denied all the charges - said that he did not commit the crimes (he was accused of doing)

The National described him as "an Emirati partner and manager of a well-known Dubai law firm." He denied all the charges in the Thaksin case, the newspaper reported.

statement - something that is said officially (so that all can hear and know)

justice - when people are treated fairly and equally (See Wikipedia) ความยุติธรรม
military justice chief

a clean record - has never been found guilty of a crime in his life

grace - kindness ความกรุณา
by God's grace

It quoted his statement to the court: "I am a military justice chief and have a clean record, and by God's grace it will remain clean." 

guilty - proven to have committed a crime; having been decided by a court of law that you committed the crime your were accused of มีความผิด
court found him guilty

involvement
disappearance

involvement in the disappearance of 60 million UK pound

The court disagreed, and found him guilty of involvement in the disappearance of 60 million UK pounds (just over three billion baht at today's exchange rates, or $95.3 million. According to the court, he was Thaksin's lawyer when the former prime minister sold City in 2008 to Abu Dhabi.

escrow - to ensure all the conditions of a real estate or business purchase or sale (transaction) are complete, all documents and money is held by another person (neutral third party), when everything is verified as complete money and ownership documents are given to thebuyer and seller (See Wikipedia) การเก็บเงินหรือทรัพย์สินที่ให้บุคคลหนึ่ง แต่เก็บไว้กับบุคคลที่สามจนกว่าจะบรรลุตามเงื่อนไขที่กำหนดไว้แล้ว
escrow account - a bank account that money is held in until a real estate deal is finished

accused - when someone says a person committed a crime
accused of embezzling 60 million pounds

prosecutor - the lawyer whose job is to prove in a court that someone is guilty
prosecutors charged that

villa - a house usually in the countryside or near the sea บ้านพักตากอากาศ, บ้านพักของเศรษฐีในชนบท
personal villa - a villa that he owned

The lawyer's firm controlled an escrow account in which funds for the sale were held. He was accused last March of embezzling 60 million pounds of the 150 million in the account. Prosecutors charged that he has already used 339.5 million to buy a personal villa.

misuse - to use something in an unsuitable way or in a way that was not intended ใช้ในทางที่ผิด
apparent - noticeable, visible; can be seen; easy to see, clear and obvious; clear; able to be seen or understood ซึ่งเห็นได้ชัดว่า
apparent misuse of the money

came to light - was discovered; people learned ro came to know that this happened or that this was true
transfer -

a quarter of the money - 25% of the money

citizen - someone who has the right to live permanently in a particular country พลเมือง a person who is legally accepted as belonging to a country, and therefore has legal rights and responsibilities (See Wikipedia)
reportedly a citizen

The apparent misuse of the money came to light after Thaksin asked the lawyer to help to transfer a quarter of the money to a bank account in Montenegro, where Thaksin is reportedly a citizen.

records - pieces of information describing something written down or stored on a computer บันทึุก
convinced - certain; sure แน่ใจ, มั่นใจ

forge - make a fake copy (copy of a legal document that is not a real copy); falsify 
forge ownership papers

Instead, the records show, the lawyer convinced Thaksin to keep the money in the UAE legal firm's account.  The Dubai court heard that the lawyer also tried to forge ownership papers on a Bombardier jet owned and used by Thaksin.

defence - something you say to support someone or something that is being criticised or charged การปกป้อง การแก้ต่าง

claim - saying something is true without proving it yet

legal standing - the legal right to start a lawsuit, "the legally protectible stake or interest that an individual has in a dispute that entitles him to bring the controversy before the court to obtain judicial relief" (See Free Dictionary)

had no legal standing in the case

premier - prime minister

deposed - ousted; forced out of a position of power ที่ถูกปลด ไล่ออกจากตำแหน่ง ที่ถูกขับออกจากตำแหน่ง
deposed premier

demands - the things that someone is asking you to do
corruption - (See Wikipedia on bribery, corporate corruption, and political corruption)

rejected defence demands

pending - waiting to be dealt with, settled or completed ยังค้างอยู่, ซึ่งยังไม่จบสิ้น, อยู่ในระหว่าง
corruption charges pending against Thaksin

The defence reportedly attempted to claim that Thaksin had no legal standing in the case because the law firm had acted on behalf of UK Sports, not the deposed premier. The Dubai judge also rejected defence demands that the court consider corruption charges pending against Thaksin.

expected - believe will happen คาดว่า (จะเกิดขึ้น)
appeal - to request that a court decision be changed ขออุทธรณ์ a request that a court change a decision of a lower court ยื่นอุทธรณ์

conviction - when someone is officially found to be guilty of a particular crime การพิสูจน์ว่ากระทำผิด
convicted - proven in a court of law to have committed a crime การกระทำผิดกฎหมาย ได้รับการพิสูจน์ว่ามีความผิดจริง

expected to appeal his conviction

sentence - (of a court of law) to give a punishment ลงโทษ a punishment given by a court of law การตัดสินลงโทษ
prison sentence

The convicted lawyer is expected to appeal his conviction and prison sentence, The National report said.

at the helm - to officially control an organisation or company มีตำแหน่งผู้ควบคุม
media - radio, television, newspaper, the Internet, considered as a group สื่อ
profit - money that you make from selling goods and services after all your costs have been paid กำไร

Thaksin sold Manchester City in 2008, after just 16 months at the helm. He sold it to Sheikh Mansour of Abu Dhabi for a reported 210 million pounds, about 10.3 billion baht. The UK media reported he made a profit of about 20 million pounds, or 983 million baht.