By Thai Newsroom Reporters
DE FACTO PHEU THAI BOSS-cum-convict at large Thaksin Shinawatra will legally be free of police custody upon his being released on parole later this month, said a prominent lawyer today (Feb.7).
According to Narinpong Jinapuck, head of the Lawyers Association of Thailand, the “untouchable” Thaksin is legally obliged to return home upon release on parole, speculated on Feb.18, and to not leave the country whilst he will still be legally considered a “convict”, albeit practically at large, as long as his one-year jail sentence, scheduled to end in August, is valid.
A likely whereabouts for the billionaire, politically powerful Thaksin to stay after release on parole is his Chan Song Lah residence on the Thonburi side of the capital city.
Neither can the police or public prosecutors hold the de facto Pheu Thai boss-cum-convict in custody anywhere pending a planned questioning of him on charge of violating the lese majeste law, also known as Section 112 of the Criminal Code, with verbal statements which he had made during his self-exile abroad, according to the association head.
However, public prosecutors attached to the Office of the Attorney-General may formally read him the lese majeste charges in person and then take him to court for trials, Narinpong said.
The prominent lawyer was apparently responding to speculation that Thaksin might probably be held in custody for interrogation by the police or public prosecutors immediately after he has been released on parole as soon as Feb.18, roughly marking half of his one-year jail sentence since he returned from self-exile overseas last August.
The de facto Pheu Thai boss had been earlier convicted by court as guilty of misconduct perpetrated during his previous premiership and sentenced in absentia to an eight-year jail term which was curtailed by royal pardon to only one year.
Yet, the deposed prime minister has never spent a single day behind bars at Bangkok Remand Prison and instead been provided a tight-security, private ward at Police Hospital for medical treatment of his mystery-shrouded “illnesses” for more than five months now.
CAPTIONS:
De facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra. Top photo: Naewna, Front Page photo: Sanook.com
Insert: Head of Lawyers Association of Thailand Narinpong Jinapuck. Photo: Thai Rath
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