Supreme Court orders seizure of Bt30 million worth of former Democrat MP's assets

The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday to uphold the lower courts' decision to seize 872 cows and five cars with the total value of Bt30 million from Pracha and six associates.
The Anti-Money Laundering Office asked the Civil Court to seize the assets after Pracha, alias Kamnan Sia, was accused of using his influence to block other businesses from bidding for the government's projects in Kanchanaburi, allowing him to win all the projects and earned benefits at the rates of 10 to 12 per cent of median prices.
Pracha appealed against the ruling of the Appeals Court in the assets case after the Appeals Court in the bidding collusion case acquitted him.
But the Supreme Court ruled that the AMLO can ask the Civil Court to seize the assets acquired through the alleged crime in regardless of the ruling by the Criminal and higher courts as long as the owner of the assets could not prove that the assets had been earned honestly.
The Supreme Court has yet to rule in the bidding collusion case.
Earlier, Pracha has been found guilty by the Criminal Court of encroaching on public land. The Appeals Court is scheduled to read its verdict on December 22.