House panel urges Thaksin to defend his ‘detention’ in hospital suite
Opposition MP who chairs the panel claims it is widely believed the ex-PM’s government connections allowed him special treatment
A House panel has called on former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra explain why he received so-called privileges to stay in the Police General Hospital for six months instead of being detained in jail.
Rangsiman Rome, deputy leader of the People’s Party, said on Thursday that Thaksin should defend himself in front of the House committee on national security, border affairs, national strategies and reforms on Friday.
The opposition MP, who also chairs the panel, said he was not sure if Thaksin will respond to the summons. However, he said, if the former PM believes he has done nothing wrong, he should testify to the House panel and put public suspicion to rest.
Rangsiman said it is widely believed that Thaksin’s connections with the government allowed him to spend his jail term in comfort in a VIP suite at the hospital since August last year until he was released on parole in February.
The government, however, has repeatedly denied giving Thaksin any privileges, saying the former prime minister was unwell and the doctors had decided to treat him outside the prison hospital.
Thaksin was supposed to spend one year in prison, but did not spend a single night behind bars because he was shifted to the hospital from the Bangkok Remand Prison almost immediately.
“Testifying to the House panel will be a good chance for Thaksin to clarify public suspicion,” Rangsiman said.
He also said that he does not have to worry about a harsh interrogation by the panel, because all questions are based on scientific and legal evidence. “The panel will not persecute him,” he said.
As for nobody coming to testify during the last meeting on issue, he said it was not a flop, because receiving no answers is like confirming public suspicion.
The panel summoned former national police chief Pol General Seree Temiyavej, former deputy national police chief Pol General Surachate Hakparn, the Police General Hospital’s director and the prison hospital’s director to testify, but nobody showed up.
“I don’t think that’s a failure. Failing to get answers is a kind of answer received,” the MP said.
