THB285m assets of Senator Upakit frozen over alleged transnational crime

Pol Lt-General Phanurat Lakboon, the acting secretary-general of the ONCB, said the board on Wednesday had ordered the freezing of 28 bank accounts of Upakit having 3 million baht and 29 plots of land worth 282 million baht.

On October 25 last year, the ONCB had frozen Upakit’s bank account having 200,000 baht after he was suspected of being linked to a drug kingpin.

Phanurat said the ONCB had found that Upakit had allegedly transferred 600 million baht out of the country. He said the ONCB would seek cooperation from the Office of the Attorney-General to petition foreign governments to freeze the overseas accounts of Upakit.

He added that the ONCB was still trying to trace other assets of Upakit and they would be frozen if found.

Public prosecutors decided in May this year to arraign Upakit in court over alleged collusion in money laundering and transnational crime.

Senator Upakit came under the media spotlight after the arrest of Myanmar businessman Tun Min Latt in Bangkok last September on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering. Upakit reportedly had close ties with Tun Min Latt, who is a crony of Myanmar military strongman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

In March, Upakit reported to the narcotic suppression police to hear charges of money laundering and association with a transnational criminal organisation, which he denied.

Upakit retains his senatorial status because he still has legal immunity granted by the Senate.

On October 9, the Senate voted 174 to 7 to retain and reaffirm his legal immunity, so he could not be charged.

Upakit was among the 250 senators appointed by the post-coup junta.