Justice Minister not empowered to endorse Thaksin’s extended stay at hospital

By Thai Newsroom Reporters

JUSTICE MINISTER THAVI Sodsong said today (Dec.6) he is not legally empowered to allow the “sickly” de facto Pheu Thai boss-cum-convict at large Thaksin Shinawatra to stay at Police Hospital beyond a 120-day period.

Thavi commented that whether the deposed prime minister could be legally allowed to stay on at the hospital for undisclosed “illnesses” will ultimately depend on Corrections Department director-general Sahakarn Petnarin to decide.

The department chief may officially endorse the admission of the deposed prime minister at the hospital if ever extended beyond the 120-day time which is due on Dec.22, according to the justice minister.

The justice minister said he himself is not allowed by law to do so otherwise he would be accused of unduly interfering in the business of the department chief.

Instead of being imprisoned at Bangkok Remand Prison to serve a one-year jail sentence due to convicted misconduct in office, Thaksin has been staying in a tight-security, private ward at Police Hospital since Aug.22, the date on which he returned from self-exile abroad.

Anti-Thaksin critics and street activists have invariably charged that the de facto Pheu Thai boss-cum-convict at large has evidently flouted the country’s judicial and correctional procedures while double standards have been allegedly applied by certain government personnel to grant him undue privileges, unprovided for other convicts.

CAPTION:

Justice Minister Thavi Sodsong, right in above photo and left in Front Page photo, and de facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra. Top image: Thai Rath, Front Page image: Matichon

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