Thaksin denies breaking the law

Thaksin denies breaking the law

BANGKOK (Reuters): Lawyers for Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra denied on Tuesday accusations that he broke the law by hiding his assets and argued his wife was responsible for handling all his business affairs.

Thailand's Constitutional Court heard its third day of evidence on Tuesday to decide whether to uphold a ruling by the National Counter Corruption Committee (NCCC) that Thaksin filed false asset returns when he was a minister in the 1990s.

The NCCC says Thaksin transferred billions of baht in shares to family members and domestic staff -- including maids, a chauffeur and a security guard -- to evade tax and conceal illegal stock price manipulation.

A decision is expected to take at least a year.