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| By Manager Online | 24 May 2010 15:42 |
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May 24, 2010
BANGKOK (AFP) - Thailand's criminal court will rule Tuesday on whether to issue a warrant to arrest fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra on terrorism charges in connection with deadly street rallies, officials said.
Department of Special Investigations (DSI) chief Tharith Pengdit said his agency, tasked with investigating violence surrounding the anti-government "Red Shirt" demonstrations, had submitted evidence on Thaksin's involvement.
"The court has questioned three witnesses from DSI, and the DSI also submitted two more files of evidence which show Thaksin's coordinating role," Tharith told reporters Monday.
The government has accused Thaksin, a billionaire tycoon ousted in a 2006 coup, of bankrolling and masterminding Thailand's worst political violence in recent history which has left 88 dead since the Reds' rallies erupted in March.
Thaksin lives in exile to avoid a jail sentence for corruption, but the government has exerted pressure on countries he has visited and moved to freeze his finances.
Terrorism charges carry a maximum penalty of death in Thailand, but the warrant appears aimed at boosting attempts to extradite Thaksin who has found sanctuary in several countries.
Defence lawyer Thanadej Puangpool told reporters the court refused his objection to the terrorism charges, ruling that his power of attorney does not apply to the case.
"We still have the right to appeal. The court has refused to receive our objection request. We will seek a new power of attorney which we believe will be done in one week," Thanadej said.
Thaksin is idolised by many Reds for his populist policies, including cheap healthcare and village funds, but Thai elites see him as corrupt, authoritarian and a threat to the revered monarchy.
Thaksin's image featured on T-shirts, banners and headbands worn by Reds during the two months of rallies crushed in an army offensive Wednesday, but opinion is divided on how much control he now exerts over the movement.
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