Dentists open Paypal account to raise funds for legal battle
DENTIST Dr Padet Pulwittayakij and three guarantors of former Mahidol University dentistry lecturer Dr Dolrudee Jumlongras have opened a Paypal account to raise money from the public to file a lawsuit against Dolrudee in the US, in order to make an exampl
Dolrudee violated her state scholarship condition to work in Thailand and allegedly refused to pay back the scholarship money.
Meanwhile, Mahidol president Udom Kachintorn affirmed he was ready to submit a lawsuit to the US court if the Office of Higher Education Commission (Ohec), who was the scholarship owner, would also sue Dolrudee. He said the university had already re-submitted documents and evidence in Dolrudee’s alleged debt default case to the Dean of Harvard University School of Dental Medicine, as recommended by the Harvard Medicine School Ombuds Office, as they weren’t able to probe the case. Affirming that the university wasn’t neglecting the issue, he also said that Mahidol had joined with Ohec to sue Dolrudee in a Thai court for bankruptcy.
Padet yesterday commented about a recent email from Dolrudee’s American husband, claiming his wife did not have the money to repay the debt, even though the guarantors would take the case to court.
Padet said the email message contrasted with the couple’s reality of living in a luxury house in the US worth almost Bt40 million. Padet said the guarantors would proceed with the suit against Dolrudee and were aided by Thais in the US and they also hired two lawyers to whom they have already sent documents and evidence.
He said the lawsuit would proceed to make an example that a practitioner or lecturer should act more responsibly and not cheat others.
“I think the husband’s explanation is out of fear of a lawsuit, which would tarnish their reputation. Urging us not to sue them, they claim it would lead to a lengthy process and it wouldn’t be worth it. We are not afraid of a prolonged legal battle and we will pursue legal action to the end,” Padet said.
The husband’s email claimed that Dolrudee didn’t have any assets in the US and the condominium used as collateral to buy their new home belonged to him.
The guarantors’ request for the couple to pay US$50,000 from a condominium sale and to pay the rest of the $150,0000 in 30 months was impossible, according to the email. If the guarantors proceed to file a lawsuit, a court battle would take 3-5 years and payment would only begin after the case was finalised.
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