Orient Thai Airlines (Bangkok Suvarnabhumi) is suing a former director for breach of fiduciary duties. The airline alleges that Mick Davies (previously known as Lan Shi Li and Jack Thomson) arranged for the transfer of THB279 million (USD7.75 million) from Orient Thai Airlines to Siam Air Transport TH, a firm which he controlled. Davies denies the allegations and says that the transfers were loan repayments. The transfers allegedly occurred over nine months from September 2015.
Davies was once one of the richest men in China and was the founder of East Star Airlines (Wuhan). That airline was forced to declare bankruptcy after the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) found it had significant safety problems. Davies was recently released from jail after serving almost four years for tax evasion and fraud. The Chinese national, who is also a Singaporean citizen, is currently on bail pending appeal in Singapore after being found guilty of travelling on a passport which did not belong to him.
Orient Thai Airlines is a leisure carrier, serving five destinations in China and Thailand. Its active fleet consists of one B737-300 and two B767-300s, as well as seventeen other craft currently in storage or maintenance.
