Thai-Malaysian officials to use MLAT for probe on Malaysian company

BANGKOK: Malaysian and Thai officials have agreed that any future request for "evidences and information" on a Malaysian company accused of running a transnational crime syndicate in the Kingdom will be made through the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT).
The decision to utilise the formal channel was taken following a meeting by high-powered enforcement officials from the two countries in Kuala Lumpur on July 25-27.
"Malaysian officials are supportive of our investigations (on the company) and willing to assist us," said a high ranking source in the Thai enforcement agency to Bernama when asked about an update on the recent meeting between them and their Malaysian counterpart.
Last month's meeting in Kuala Lumpur he said, was held in a cordial manner in which the Thai side forwarded their request for specific "evidences and information" on the allegations surrounding the Malaysian company in Thailand.
The high ranking source declined to disclose the specific "evidences and information"  it requested from the Malaysian authorities, but stated that it was vital to the outcome of their investigation on the company.
Last month's meeting in Kuala Lumpur signalled the commitment and urgency by Thai authorities to wrap up more than a year of investigation on the Malaysian company for allegedly conducting dubious business operations in the Kingdom. 
The Penang-based company which has wide-ranging business interest in the Kingdom, especially in southern Thailand's towns of Hatyai and Danok, had also come under scrutiny by the Malaysian authorities recently for operating a questionable financial scheme.
In the meeting, the Thai delegation was represented by officers from the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO), Department of Special Investigation (DSI), Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) and Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB).
According to the high ranking source, Thailand's Attorney General Office would be the main agency to deal with the Malaysian side regarding the request for "evidences and information" about the company.
He also said, there was no plans at the moment for additional meetings with the Malaysian side after last month's meet-up.
The source also expected AMLO to be the first enforcement agency to officially press money-laundering charges against the Malaysian company, followed by other Thai enforcement agencies upon the completion of their investigations.
Bernama was made to understand that NSB and ONCB had been investigating allegations on possible links between the company with cross border narco-trade following the arrest of a Malaysian member of a drug syndicate.
The Malaysian man was arrested in Sadao border check point last year with hundreds of kilogram of Methaphetamine drugs.
The Malaysian authorities in recent months have raided the company's premises located all over the country and frozen 91 bank accounts linked to the company with funds totalling RM177 million. — Bernama