Thai prosecutors have moved to seize 76 billion baht (£1.2 billion) of family assets from the disgraced former premier Thaksin Shinawatra and his family over an on-going corruption investigation.

The assets have been frozen since shortly after Mr Thaksin was ousted in 2006 coup by military leaders who acused him of widespread corruption.

Waiyawuth Lohtrakul, the deputy chief of the Attorney General's office, said today that prosecutors have filed a lawsuit asking the court to confiscate those assets and determine how much was earned through Mr Thaksin's media business and how much was the result of corruption while he was in office from 2001-2006.

"We allege the defendant wrongfully enriched himself while he was in the office," Mr Waiyawuth said.

Mr Thaksin is charged with corruption relating to Ms Potjaman’s purchase of a 772 million baht (£12.2 million) plot of land in central Bangkok in 2003. The prosecutors allege that a government agency sold the property at Mr Thaksin’s behest for one third of its market value.

Mr Thaksin is currently in England, where he fled two weeks ago to escape facing trial for fraud. His wife Potjaman, who fled with him, had already been convicted and sentenced to jail for fraud.

The Supreme Court has issued arrest warrants for Thaksin and his wife and seized 13 billion baht in bail bonds. But Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej has said he has no plans to seek their extradition, which is usually a lengthy and complicated process.

For his part, Mr Thaksin has made it clear he has no intention of returning to Thailand. "My wife and I will stay in England where democracy is more important," he said in a hand-written statement issued from his house in London soon after his arrival in the UK.

“Obvious judicial interference and double standards caused me and my family to receive no justice ... What happened to me and my family and my close relations resulted from efforts to get rid of me from politics.”

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