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Convicted Dutch money launderer and Thai wife have sentences drastically reduced


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Convicted Dutch money launderer and Thai wife have sentences drastically reduced

 

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File photo: Johann Petruz Maria van Laarhoven, on his way to court on 17 October 2014/Manager

 

BANGKOK: -- A man from the Netherlands convicted for laundering money in Thailand allegedly made from the cannabis trade in his home country has had his sentence drastically reduced by the criminal court in Bangkok.

 

His Thai wife will also serve much less time.

 

Johan or Johannes van Laarhoven was originally sentenced back in 2015 to 103 years following his arrest the previous year. This was reduced by a third but it has now been further shortened to 20 years after appeal as this is the maximum term for money laundering.

 

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File photo: Mrs Maslin van der Hoffen or Kaen In travel to court on October 17, 2014/Manager

 

His wife Mingkhwan van Laarhoven ot Tukta originally got 18 years but will now serve just 7 years and 4 months.

 

The case caused a sensation in 2014 with Dutch MPs later calling for his release amid concerns that his money - thought to be 300 million baht - came from the sale of legitimate coffee shops.

 

It was reported in the Thai press in 2016 that he had been ordered jailed by "high up persons" despite a lack of evidence presented before the courts.

 

Police said in 2014 that they had found a large amount of property, land and cars including five Porches that had been bought by Van Laarhoven, now 57, and his wife more than twenty years his junior.

 

The latest court decision was made at the Rachadapisek Central Criminal Court in downtown Bangkok on Tuesday.

 

Source: Manager

 
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-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-06-21
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hum....must have offended someone amongst the cited high up persons...

 

and over flaunting around the cash with Porsches and properties, not such a good idea anywhere, as jealousy towards the wrong people can get you in trouble, no matter how innocent you may be....

 

better remain modest and discreet if you are rich to really rich, in any country in the world!!

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I remember this case from 2014 and that I was thinking that he was set up after maybe stepping on somebody's toes. 

Thailand is a lovely country, but there is a lot behind their smiles. And if you make the wrong people lose face you are in big trouble, no matter how much money you got.

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1 minute ago, thaifan01 said:

I remember this case from 2014 and that I was thinking that he was set up after maybe stepping on somebody's toes. 

Thailand is a lovely country, but there is a lot behind their smiles. And if you make the wrong people lose face you are in big trouble, no matter how much money you got.

Very true...unfortunately some western patterns, mainly on workplace competition, call for merciless competition, that call to snub or needlessly put others down in order to rise faster....in our societies, the more you make your rivals loose face the faster you could rise and get a raise...corporate attitude it could be called!!!....but this is deadly in Thailand or in Asian business dealings in general.....once you are aware, things could be a bit smoother...

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1 hour ago, webfact said:

It was reported in the Thai press in 2016 that he had been ordered jailed by "high up persons" despite a lack of evidence presented before the courts.

 

 

Just the thoughts that WE ALL can be one jailed by the whims of ' a high up

person ' is enough o send a message to all of us to be carful and wary

of what we do, say, and use our money....

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I wonder how many wai´s it was for get a reduction from 103 to 20 years. According to 50% of the sentence all the time, it will not be an even number. That´s in reality same impossible as the a sentence for serving time at all.

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2 minutes ago, LomSak27 said:

The BIB always looking for a way to make some money! hehe He will be happy to get back to the Netherlands and start dealing with the tax officers there and remember what a mistake it was to go to Thailand!

 

I dont think this case started because some police guys wanted to make some bucks, more likely some powerful Thais got offended or lost face.

Anyway, the poor Dutch is lucky to still be alive and hopefully his money finally have started to help him out now... 

 

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18 minutes ago, LomSak27 said:

The BIB always looking for a way to make some money! hehe He will be happy to get back to the Netherlands and start dealing with the tax officers there and remember what a mistake it was to go to Thailand!

 

He would be happy if he lives long enough to get back there.  20 years maybe 17 with 3 taken off for time served is a long way away.

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27 minutes ago, catman20 said:

I thought money talked in Thailand, you would of thought with all his money he could of greased the right plams to walk free.

Maybe those who he offended, cited as carrying high level positions and powerful connections, had enough money, if not more? ...

 

On further thought, and to contradict myself,  despite what I said in a previous post here..there is obviously more to all of this, either political or something more lewd, as people don't just get thrown in jail from a high level mood swing  even in Thailand, without some reasons, justified or not...at worse they would have expropriated his assets and deported him, if only playground style, face loss revenge was at stake....

 

Another thought, could be most simply that what was legal in Holland to make money through dope in legal coffee shops, is plainly totally illegal by Thai law, which would be a simple explanation on his detention, despite his activity being legal in his homeland????

 

Anyhow, the poor chap should write a book while in jail with the full truth and publish it once he is back home....The story may shake up quite a few within the establishment...

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In this case there are more facts playing then reported in the local press. I followed that case in different tv shows in the Netherlands and  it seems that a former high ranking military attache of the embassy in Bkk was involved in signing wrong translated documents in this case. Due to this that couple was presented like a big drug lord.Many politicians and tv hosts set up petitions to push the goverment to resolve this mistake but the prime minister Rutte not wanted to loose face just sending his minister to Bkk to explain the misunderstanding should have solved this case. Interesting fact is that the military attache should has resigned,started a wine business on Sukhumvit but should have used his position to import stuff cheap to Thailand, this was reported on the website who support a petition to free the couple. This money was made legally in the Netherlands, how can it be money laundering in Thailand?? Now I think that Mr Van Loven had to much trust in the thai banking system, there are enough countries around where he could have parked his legally own money. Keep just what you need here in my opinion, there are a lot of jaleous people here who like to take a part of your cake. Hopefully they will be free soon as they already served a few years and that they can pick up there lives. But shame to the goverment of the Netherlands to let escalate this story and ruine there lives.

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I thought he made his money legally in Holland, how can you launder clean money

Remembering this disgraceful case. Very abriviated the argument was that his trade is illegal in thailand, hence the money was considered illegally gained and laundered.
Unfortunately all was set in motion by a half hearted request from an embassy staff, for the RTP to check his accounts. The Dutch thought he might had evaded some taxation on his business, but that was never ascertained. The RTP then set procedures in motion that could not be stopped without losing face, my guess.

Sent from my SM-G925F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

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45 minutes ago, LomSak27 said:

The BIB always looking for a way to make some money! hehe He will be happy to get back to the Netherlands and start dealing with the tax officers there and remember what a mistake it was to go to Thailand!

 

If I remember the story correctly,, he made all the $$ COMPLETELY legally in Holland,, he was under investigation for tax evasion several times there, and EVERY time, no evidence was found to charge/convict him, Must have really peeved off the Dutch tax man that chased him, so he contacted the Thai authorities to, "Keep an eye on him" or similar,, Once the thieving Thai's found out what he was worth is when he was found to be "guilty" here,, for laundering money in Holland, which he was NEVER even CHARGED with there, let alone convicted of THERE!,,,,, So the Thai's convicted him of a crime HERE, that he wasn't even charged with in his home country... And the THIEVING Thai's here, divided up his wealth,, No doubts, had he not transfered his wealth into to Thailand,, they would have arrested and charged him, ,he'd have paid a fine, and been back out in a week's time.. The only criminals in this story, are the multiple Thai, "authorities". 

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3 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

He shouldn't be serving any time at all. 

 

He broke no laws here. 

i dont think he broke any laws anywhere. he was up on some charges in his home country which were dropped. it was all about taking his assets. i would like to know where all his assets are now. is a good example of  why you dont bring any wealth to thailand. just yourself and some clothes. rent everything and get on a plane if things go bad or when you get sick of the place.

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4 minutes ago, little mary sunshine said:

He will be out in 5.  No doubt he had friends

dig into some of the millions of emergency

Reserve money and fill up lots of envelopes....

If that was the case dont you think those envelopes would of been doing the rounds 3 years ago.

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Firstly, he is an "alleged" money launderer in the Netherlands (Not convicted) and in Thailand he was sentenced for using money made selling drugs (not fully legally, but not criminally) in another country. :post-4641-1156693976:

 

Secondly, this statement: "Johan or Johannes van Laarhoven was originally sentenced back in 2015 to 103 years following his arrest the previous year. This was reduced by a third but it has now been further shortened to 20 years after appeal as this is the maximum term for money laundering."

So 'maximum' jail terms mean squat in this country. :saai:

 

Thirdly: I wonder if they had a search warrant in addition to the arrest warrant when they arrested him at home (Remember the same search warrant that was apparently missing in the original arrest "attempt" of Dhammachayo for money laundering charges :whistling:

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