MASSIVE THAI CORRUPTION CASE – IRISH CONSULAR OFFICIALS TOLD TO GET OFF THEIR BACKSIDES
A representative from the Irish Embassy in Bangkok was today ordered to appear at the Royal Thai Police headquarters over the case of a 16-year-old Irish girl who is spearheading the case of her and her family who have been kidnapped, robbed of over a million Euros in property , and forced to live in fear.
Police General Somyot Pumpunmuang Commander of the Royal Police ordered an Embassy representative to attend the meeting and he also summonsed a lawyer and a number of police from Chalong Police station in Phuket who have been named by Jessie Vard, 16, and her brother Daire, 13, as implicated in corruption.
Jessie and Daire are the children of former Dublin businessman Colin Vard, a cousin of the Vard Sisters, and himself a children’s book author.
After arriving in Phuket some 6 years ago he claims he was swindled out of seven properties he had bought there and implicit in the swindle were his own lawyer, officials of the Krung Thai Bank and local police who refused to investigate, and moneylenders whom the property was originally hawked to by Vard’s housekeeper – the only person to be jailed.
It’s alleged that Vard’s lawyer switched Vard’s title deeds for photocopies and transferred the real ones into other names. Among the names were local police and officials in Phuket. When the Vards’ demanded investigations local police refused and nothing happened when Colin Vard went over their heads, except that they started receiving death threats.
The summons of the Irish Embassy official was made after General Somyot Pumpunmuang came after he said: ‘The Irish Embassy must get involved”.
And it highlights situations abroad where Embassies refuse to help their own citizens who have been swindled claiming they cannot interfere with the justice system of their own country.
Colin Vard’s case which was first revealed by journalist Andrew Drummond (author of this site) took off publicly in Thailand when Jessie started producing her own videos accusing Thai officials of widespread corruption including the Phuket Land Office which had to be involved in the scam.
Today Colin Vard said: “The Irish Embassy in Kuala Lumper and Consulate in Thailand have done absolutely nothing for us. They will not even answer the phone any more.”
Mr.Vard, Jessie and Daire blocked two lanes of traffic in central Bangkok outside the Royal Thai Police headquarters to make their point. Due to death threats they are currently living under witness protection provided by the Department of Special Investigations.
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| Earlier meeting – Daire (far left) and Jessie at Ministry of Justice. A lot of talk but nothing happened |
Links: Justice for Jessie (Facebook)
Children padlocked in well as father robbed of properties in Thailand