Thaksin bid for Manchester City accepted by board

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Thailand's ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, facing corruption charges at home, won acceptance on Thursday for an 81.6-million-pound bid for English Premiership football club Manchester City.

The formal bid, worth the equivalent of 121.5 million euros or 162.6 million dollars, was made by Thaksin's UK Sports Investments company and was backed by management at Manchester City, the boards said in a joint statement.

The takover offer came as Thai prosecutors in Bangkok laid formal criminal corruption charges against former prime minister Thaksin in the first case to reach court since a coup last year removed him from power.

Manchester City, which finished a disappointing 14th place last season in the Premiership, has become the latest English football team to attract takeover interest from abroad.