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BANGKOK - THAILAND's Criminal Court sentenced the wife of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to three years in jail on Thursday after finding her guilty of tax evasion.
The verdict is the first in several lawsuits prepared against Mr Thaksin and his family and associates by anti-graft investigators appointed after a 2006 coup.
Ms Potjaman Shinawatra, her brother Bannapot Damapong and her secretary were charged with colluding to evade tax worth 546 million baht ($S22.3 million) in the transfer of shares in a telecoms firm Mr Thaksin founded.
'The actions by the three defendants are serious violations of the law. The court has decided that the three defendants were guilty of tax fraud,' judge Pramote Pipatpramote said.
The three have not said if they would appeal, but their lawyers have said they would take their case up to the Supreme Court.
All three were released on bail pending appeal, court officials said.
Ms Potjaman Shinawatra, her brother and her secretary were freed on bail of 5 million baht each.-- REUTERS, AFP
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