Opposition fires shots at Thai PM

Opposition fires shots at Thai PM

BANGKOK (AP): Firing the latest shot in a tit-for-tat political battle, the party posing the biggest challenge to Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai in upcoming elections has accused his finance minister of violating financial disclosure laws.

Thai Rak Thai Party, widely tipped to upset Chuan's Democrat Party at the Jan. 6 polls, said it would ask the National Counter Corruption Commission to investigate Finance Minister Tarrin Nimmanahaeminda for shares he allegedly held in a travel company.

Adisorn Piengket, a senior Thai Rak Thai member, told reporters that Tarrin failed to report his 60,000 stocks worth 6 million baht ($140,000) in the company, Coral Reef Cabana, when he was appointed finance minister in 1997.

The allegation by Thai Rak Thai was an apparent attempt to deflect attention from an NCCC investigation into party leader Thaksin Shinawatra's business activities.