Seizure of Chuwit's Bt3.4 million related to prostitution ring

The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled to seize Bt3.4 million from Rak Prathet Thai MP Chuwit Kamolvisit in connection with his suspected involvement in the prostitution ring.

The high court verdict was based on the civil proceedings under the money laundering law and would not impact on Chuwit’s political office.

Although the lower court and the subsequent appellate reivew ruled in Chuwit’s favour by citing his acquittal in the criminal proceedings, the high court said under the money laundering law, the defence had the burden of proof but failed to verify how the assets in question were amassed.

The case came to light after the Paveena Hongsakul Foundation, a women advocacy group, fiiled a police complaint charging that massage parlours run by Chuwit were a front for sex trade.

The prosecution launched separate criminal and civil proceedings against Chuwit and his holding company, Ho Pacific Co which operated a number of massage parlours.

By the time the case reached the judicial review, Ho Pacific and its subsidiaries had Bt3.4 million left in various bank accounts.

Among key defence arguments were that massage parlours were a legitimate business, that massage services were not illicit sex trade and that the criminal trial had ended with the verdict of acquittal.

The high court ruled that there was cause to suspect the sex trade as the company’s record showed it spent Bt112,559 to buy condoms in 2002 alone. A number of former workers testified how they were trained and coerced to provide sexual services.

Furthermore a large number of disposed condoms were uncovered at various parlours run by Chuwit.

Under the verdict, the cause to suspect ill-gotten gains had warranted the asset seizure order. The defence did not prove how the assets came into its possession.