Thai Court dismisses case against expat David Hanks - 'no reliable evidence' Hanks was involved.

Pattaya, 18th August 2015

David Hanks - all charges dismissed

Pattaya Provincial Court this morning dismissed a case filedby Thailand's so called elite Department of Special Investigations (DSI) involving an expat business man alleging he had been involved in an operation lending money to Russian tourists in the resort town of Pattaya, Thailand.

David John Hanks, formerly of Givan in Ayrshire had all charges dismissed after the Court found that there was 'no reliable evidence' to connect Hanks to the money lending operation that was operated by Russian national Ayrat Kabharov.

Khabarov at his arrest by the Department of Special Investigations

Six Russian witnesses who had given evidence at a pre-trial hearing all stated clearly that they had no idea who Hanks was, had never met him, and had only met Khabarov. Khabarov absconded whilst on bail last year.

The co-accused in the case, Alexander Komondorkiy did not appear at trial on health grounds, and the Court postponed his case and issued an arrest warrant so that Komondorsky could be detained should he attempt to enter Thailand.

Khabarov was arrested in June 2014 by Thailand's Department of Special Operations, but at the trial in August 2015 allegations surfaced that witnesses had been 'verballed' and had signed statements in Thai language that had not been properly translated to them - the Russian translator involved was later forced to admit that he could not read Thai and had no idea what he or the witnesses had signed.

Hanks was represented by lawyer Sanya Namnaphon of Alba Laws LLP at trial, who also recently represented Rashid Grasanov, who was also found not guilty amidst allegations of police misconduct in the case.

Lawyers for Hanks are now considering what action can be taken against the officers involved, and whether charges for misconduct can be laid.

The case has attracted significant media attention in both the Thai and foreign press, and on the internet and Hanks is now expected to file charges against all of media the outlets that misreported that Hanks was 'mafia' or 'a gangster' or involved in 'racketeering' and 'money laundering'.


Hanks said at the Court this morning:

'I am obviously delighted at the outcome of the case, and happy that I have finally been able to clear my name after two years of media harassment and personal attacks on the internet - all coordinated by a journalist already convicted of libel in a case I filed, and who is now on the run with several arrest warrants outstanding after absconding whilst on bail.

From the outset I have maintained my innocence and repeatedly stated I had nothing to do with this - I even provided prosecutors and police with statements from witnesses that witnesses were forced to sign statements in Thai language and had no idea what they had signed, and will now certainly pursue that matter.

The icing on the cake was when the 'translator' admitted he had no idea what the statements said.

My family and I have been subjected to a disgraceful media campaign and called 'mafia' and a 'gangster', and  it is time for that hate campaign of harassment to be addressed in the Courts,

I cannot thank my lawyer Sanya Namnaphon enough for his diligence in pursuing this case, and for his tireless efforts to have this case brought to this conclusion today'.