THAILAND: Criminal charges laid against former PM and wife
Updated
Thai prosecutors have formally laid charges criminal corruption charges against ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. It's the first case against the ousted leader to reach court since last September's coup. The charges against Mr Thaksin and his wife Pojaman centre on a controversial land purchase in 2003.
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Presenter: Rob Sharp
Speakers: Nopodom Pattama, the lawyer for ousted Thai Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra
PATTAMA: It is predictable as of the conclusion by the Asset Examination Committee to press charge against Kun Thaksin and his wife regarding that land deal case. We expect that the public prosecutor is going to rubber stamp the conclusion by the ASID Examination Committee. It's predictable.
SHARP: What are his chances of getting a fair hearing in Thailand?
PATTAMA: Eh yeah, it's a very good question. We are afraid that we might not get a fair trial during the present situation as there has been interference or intervention by certain group of people in the normal due process of law and we are not very confident that my client is going to get a fair trial.
SHARP: How are you going to bank roll the trial, now that the funds have been frozen?
PATTAMA: Okay, we don't have very expensive lawyers, so we should have some money to pay for the lawyers here.
SHARP: But will that prove to be an obstacle of sorts?
PATTAMA: Could be an obstacle, but we hope that lawyer will understand the difficulty we are facing at the moment.
SHARP: How has Mr Thaksin and Pojaman responded to the charges being laid?
PATTAMA: Well, we have maintained that we have been unfairly treated by the Asset Examination Committee. Let me remind your audience that the AEC was set up by the FUNTA, the coup, and the country has been under the dictatorship for several months, and we have to wait until the country return to democracy.
SHARP: If they are convicted, they face up to 13 years prison?
PATTAMA: We are confident that we are going to fight for his innocence and we will be able to flight the charge successful. I don't anticipate any conviction and when the country returns to normality, we should be able to prove our innocence.
