Shinawatra found guilty of corruption
Thaksin Shinawatra, the ex-owner of Manchester Cit
Thaksin Shinawatra, the ex-owner of Manchester City Football Club, has been sentenced to two years in prison after being found guilty of corruption by the Thai Supreme Court. He has been punished for offences committed during his spell as Prime Minister of Thailand.
He has been found guilty of violating conflict of interest rules after helping his wife, Pojaman, purchase land from a state agency at a reduced price. The 59-year-old was removed from his position two years ago and has been investigated by the Thai authorities ever since. Graft investigators were appointed following a military coup in 2006 and they have been actively looking into claims of corruption.
Worryingly for Shinawatra, this ruling is only the first in a series of corruption charges being brought against him and his political associates. His wife was found guilty earlier this year and was handed a prison sentence of three years.
The couple returned to their home country from the UK in February of this year to face up to the charges but they came back in August, stating that they were being treated unfairly by the Thai authorities.
Shinawatra, who is currently the honorary president of Manchester City after the Abu Dhabi United Group announced their takeover of the club, has denied accusations that he tried to seek asylum in the UK.
He publicly stated that the case against him has been unfairly motivated by political factors and revealed that he has “long anticipated that it would turn out this way”.
