Ex-Revenue chief to get his job back
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The Central Administrative Court has ordered the reinstatement of Sirote Swasdipanich as director-general of the Revenue Department on grounds that his decision to exempt the Shin Corp sale from taxes did not warrant severe disciplinary punishment.
The court found that Sirote made the decision according to principle and did not deserve a penalty, as it was unclear that he bore ill intentions while determining that the sale was not liable for taxes.
Chief judge Adul Chantarasak ruled on Wednesday to revoke the Finance Ministry’s order on May 12, 2008 dismissing Sirote from government service.
Sirote was a deputy director-general and the acting director-general of the department when he decided on the tax treatment of the transfer of Bt738 million Shin shares by Pojaman na Pombejra, the then wife of then premier Thaksin Shinawatra, to her brother Bhanapot Damapong.
The court said there was no evidence that Sirote had any contact with the principals or did anything that could be construed as trying to help his career or derive any benefit. The court also ordered the restoration of all benefits to the petitioner within 30 days after the court considers the case as final. The ruling can be appealed within 30 days.
