By Thai Newsroom Reporters
THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL might probably postpone next week’s court proceedings on a lese majeste lawsuit against de facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra, a partisan source said today (June 11).
Though the OAG had earlier scheduled the planned proceedings on the lese majeste lawsuit against the de facto Pheu Thai boss at the Criminal Court for June 18, it could be indefinitely put off, pending a renewed investigation by the OAG into Thaksin’s latest statement sent to the prosecuting agency in pursuit of justice.
Thaksin has alleged in his defence statement that some unnamed OAG officials in charge of investigating charges had worked under pressure and threats from the 2014 coup junta who had ultimately demanded that he be eventually charged in court with a violation of the lese majeste law, also known as Section 112 of the Criminal Code.
The de facto Pheu Thai boss who had earlier branded such a lese majeste lawsuit “utterly groundless” and failed to show up and formally hear of the charges at the OAG headquarters on May 29 under excuse of an infection with Covid-19 could possibly secure a further delay in the agency’s court proceedings from June 18, the partisan source said.
Though court proceedings on lese majeste cases would almost certainly span a number of years, hush-hush lobbying has been allegedly taking place in a last-ditch effort to spare the billionaire, powerful de facto Pheu Thai boss a legally-bound appearance before the Criminal Court as earlier scheduled for June 18.
Nevertheless, Thaksin would likely be released on bail if no further delay was granted by the OAG, thus forcing him to appear in court that day, regardless of the fact that he had earlier evaded court verdicts, thus read out in his absentia, pertaining to power abuse charges perpetrated during his previous premiership over the last couple of decades, according to the partisan source.
During an interview with a news agency in Seoul in 2008, Thaksin had mentioned the paramountly-revered monarchy in alleged connection with the 2006 coup which had ousted him from power.
However, the de facto Pheu Thai boss had accused the 2014 coup junta, headed by former army chief-turned-prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, of forcing the OAG officials to press the debatable charges against him.
The former coup had deposed him from elected premiership whilst the latter coup had ousted his sister Yingluck Shinawatra from power with the military juntas separately citing large-scale corruption in government for purported motives of the coups.
CAPTION:
De facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra waving to the supporters, above, and giving an interview with his daughter/Pheu Thai leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra behind him, Front Page. Both photos: Thai Rath
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