Mugabe ‘crony’ resigns from Thai gov. position

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra (pictured) is remaining silent on the issue of whether her fellow Pheu Thai party members pressured Nalinee Thaveesin to resign from her ministerial post, saying only that she will ‘re-examine the issue’.

Ms Yingluck, who presided over the opening of the Centre for Creative Community under Ploenchit expressway, declined to comment on reports that Pheu Thai party members put pressure on Ms Nalinee to resign from the Minister Attached to the Prime Minister’s Office post after she was named by the United States as a ‘business crony’ of Zimbabwe’s infamous President Robert Mugabe.

In 2008, the US Treasury Department used the term ‘crony’ to describe the relationship of Ms Nalinee and three other persons with President Mugabe.

The situation culminated in Ms Nalinee’s assets in the US being frozen, and Washington banning her from doing business or conducting any financial or commercial transactions with US citizens.

Ms Yingluck only told reporters that she would investigate the issue once again.

Earlier the premier defended her decision on Ms Nalinee’s posting, saying that her qualifications as an appointee had been checked, and that they met all of the Thai constitutional requirements.

On Wednesday His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej endorsed the cabinet reshuffle proposed by Ms Yingluck, and she was scheduled to lead 16 newly-appointed cabinet ministers to take an oath of allegiance to HM the King on Monday at 5.30 pm, taking place at the Siriraj Hospital.

(original source: MCOT)

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