Prosecutors, police have waited in vain to quizz ‘untouchable’ Thaksin

By Thai Newsroom Reporters

PUBLIC PROSECUTORS AND POLICE have apparently waited in vain for a questioning of de facto Pheu Thai boss-cum-convict at large Thaksin Shinawatra at a Bangkok prison on lese majeste charges, a police source said today (Feb.6).

The public prosecutors attached to the Office of the Attorney-General and the police of the Technology Crime Suppression Division have earlier requested for a yet-ungiven permission from an executive official of Bangkok Remand Prison to conduct the interrogation of the deposed prime minister who might possibly otherwise be held in temporary custody by the police on charges of violating the lese majeste law, also known as Section 112 of the Criminal Code, at a time when he was residing in his self-exile overseas.

Neither the public prosecutors nor the police have been informed by Bangkok Remand Prison’s executive official as to how soon the sought-after questioning of the de facto Pheu Thai boss-cum-convict at large could possibly be conducted at prison, the police source said.

Instead of being literally put behind bars, the billionaire, politically-powerful Thaksin was provided a private ward at Police Hospital for undisclosed “illnesses” for more than five months without schedule to be discharged from the hospital and be returned to prison.

The public prosecutors and police’s joint attempt to question the “untouchable” Thaksin at Bangkok Remand Prison for allegedly making verbal statements tantamount to lese majeste content whilst he was residing in self-exile overseas might probably fall through until he is released on parole as soon as later this month.

However, it remains to be seen whether the police could take Thaksin in custody somewhere pending the planned questioning of him after he has been released on parole from Police Hospital without being returned to Bangkok Remand Prison, the police source said.

If convicted by court as guilty of lese majeste charges, the accused could possibly be sentenced to a range of three to 15 years in prison under the draconian law.

The de facto Pheu Thai boss-cum-convict at large who had been earlier convicted in absentia of perpetrating a few counts of misconduct during his previous premiership and sentenced to an eight-year jail term which was curtailed by royal pardon to one year has never spent a single day behind bars and apparently remained “untouchable” to anyone other than his family members since he returned from self-exile abroad last August.

His safety concerns being repeatedly cited by the authorities notwithstanding, all CCTV cameras inside the hospital building where Thaksin has been staying for over five months had questionably remained out of order.

House Committee on Police Affairs chair Chaichana Dejdecho has earlier tried in vain to see the “sickly” Thaksin in person at Police Hospital but was literally barred by hospital officials as well as Corrections Department officials and police who cited the privacy of the undisturbable patient. Though the House committee chair was allowed to get to the hallway leading to Thaksin’s private ward, he was not allowed to get inside.

Street activists and other critics have invariably accused the de facto Pheu Thai boss-cum-convict at large of not only flouting the country’s judicial systems and promoting double standards in the handling of convicts but seeking and obtaining excessive privileges unprovided for others.

The anti-Thaksin protesters have desperately insisted that no parole be granted to him and that he be finally returned to Bangkok Remand Prison to serve the rest of his curtailed, one-year jail term.

CAPTION:

De facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatrs. Top and Front Page file photos: Thai Rath

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