Police General Samran Nuanma, tipped to lead the national police, announces an offensive against law firms and accounting firms that organise foreign nominee arrangements.
In the context of the seventh phase of the operation to dismantle nominee networks on the island of Koh Samui, in the province of Surat Thani, the future police chief indicated that the Prime Minister had ordered the total eradication of these illegal structures.
To date, 187 cases have already been handled by the provincial police services. The authorities now intend to target the true masterminds behind these schemes, namely the legal and accounting firms that advise and facilitate these practices.
« We will pursue those responsible upstream, the law firms and accounting practices that provide support to these networks. We will also approach the Minister of Justice to examine the ethical breaches of the lawyers and accountants concerned », declared Gnral Samran Nuanma.
Interviews with foreign suspects confirmed that they had been explicitly guided to place straw men on the boards of companies set up in Koh Samui.
Once all the evidence has been gathered, the authorities promise to pursue these intermediaries through to the end of the judicial process.