Justice minister backs NACC probe into alleged privileges for Thaksin

Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong said on Tuesday that he would ask the Police General Hospital to send medical records of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to the National Anti-Corruption Commission as requested.

Tawee was commenting on reports that the NACC has requested Thaksin’s medical records from the police hospital three times to no avail.

Acting on a complaint by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the NACC is investigating whether the Corrections Department and police hospital have provided superior privileges to Thaksin over other inmates.

In early August, the NHRC resolved to ask the NACC to investigate the conduct of the Corrections Department for alleged unfair treatment to inmates who did not enjoy special treatment granted to Thaksin.

The NHRC concluded that Thaksin had received special privileges because of his social and economic standing, which violates the principle of equality.

After Thaksin returned from self-imposed exile in August last year, he was supposed to serve his jail term but was admitted to the Police General Hospital the very night he was sent to the prison. His jail term was later commuted by a royal clemency to one year, and he remained in the hospital for six months until he was released on parole early this year.

Tawee also complained that the NHRC reached a resolution without really conducting an investigation. He said ombudsmen had conducted an investigation into the case by interrogating witnesses and concluded that no wrongdoing occurred regarding Thaksin’s treatment in the police hospital. He said the NHRC did not summons any witnesses to testify.

Tawee also complained that all independent organisations should have come up with similar opinions on the case.

The justice minister added that although Thaksin was in the police hospital during his detention period, he was still under detention because the post-coup government had amended the law to allow inmates to be detained outside prisons to reduce congestion in prisons.

Tawee added that he could affirm that during Thaksin’s detention at the police hospital, he had never left his room for even a single minute.

On Sunday, the House of Representatives committee on national security, border affairs, and national reforms, which is chaired by People’s Party MP Rangsiman Rome, decided to open an inquiry into Thaksin’s six-month-long treatment at the Police General Hospital, and the inquiry would begin on Thursday.