In what is likely to be an all-too familiar episode over the coming months, the club found itself dragged into the Shinawatra affair as it was announced that there was to be an investigation into the origin of the funds used to finance the bid for the club.
After recently having a vast chunk of his assets frozen by the current Thai regime, they are seemingly none too happy at him having managed to be able to lodge his bid for the club, with Chalongphob Sussangkarn, Thailand's finance minister saying:
This was something which was refuted by Keith Harris, who is confident that the monies used to purchase the club is all above board, saying:
As I have mentioned previously, one of the dangers attached to the Shinawatra takeover is this very scenario, where his political opponents try to make gain by continually investigating his activities.
This may well just be political manouevering onbehalf of the Thai government, an attempt to put a dampener on some of the publicity generated by his takeover, but still, it doesn't reflect too well on the club and merely provides further ammunition to those in the media who seemingly have an appetite to continually target and criticise the club.
After recently having a vast chunk of his assets frozen by the current Thai regime, they are seemingly none too happy at him having managed to be able to lodge his bid for the club, with Chalongphob Sussangkarn, Thailand's finance minister saying:
"This money which would be used for Manchester City is still
a mystery to Thailand, so I cannot tell where the money will be coming from," he
said."I am sure the asset examination commission will look at the source of
these funds and try to see whether they are legal funds that were taken out or
by other means."If the deal goes ahead and the money is paid they will try to
look at it."We don't know yet how he is going to finance it. We won't know until
the deal is finalised."
This was something which was refuted by Keith Harris, who is confident that the monies used to purchase the club is all above board, saying:
"The money to buy Man City is clean. It has been
legitimately and transparently transferred to the UK."
"A number of his bank accounts have been frozen. Some
of them are personal and some corporate," said Harris.
"But the money used to
finance the takeover and used to invest in the club are in bank accounts in
England and beyond their (the Thai government's) reach".
As I have mentioned previously, one of the dangers attached to the Shinawatra takeover is this very scenario, where his political opponents try to make gain by continually investigating his activities.
This may well just be political manouevering onbehalf of the Thai government, an attempt to put a dampener on some of the publicity generated by his takeover, but still, it doesn't reflect too well on the club and merely provides further ammunition to those in the media who seemingly have an appetite to continually target and criticise the club.