Thaksin’s foes push NACC to speed up probe in ‘privilege’ case

A network of foes of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra rallied at the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) on Wednesday, calling on the anti-graft agency to speed up an investigation in the case of alleged abuse of authority to help him escape detention in prison.

The network rallied in front of the NACC to submit its demand to the anti-graft agency, saying alleged wrongdoing in the case was clear so the NACC should speed up its investigation and file charges in court as soon as possible.

The network includes former members of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), and Network of Students and People for Democratic Reform (NSPDR) as well as Jatuporn Promphan, a former red-shirt leader. The PAD and PDRC are now defunct. Jatuporn used to be their arch-enemy until he became disillusioned with Thaksin and became a prominent critic of the former prime minister.

The NACC on Monday (December 16) resolved to investigate 12 government officials for allegedly allowing Thaksin to stay at the hospital instead of in prison.

Thaksin returned to Thailand in August 2023 to serve his eight-year prison sentence, which was commuted days later by the king to one year. Thaksin spent only a few hours in prison before being transferred to the Police General Hospital on health grounds, where he spent six months before being paroled in February.

During the rally on Wednesday, Pichit Chaimongkol, an NSPDR leader, said there were witnesses who had visited Thaksin at the hospital and found he was not ill as claimed.

Pichit said Thaksin was allowed to stay in a VIP room of the hospital without the presence of any prison guards.
Also, there was no clear medical evidence from doctors who had treated him that he was really ill.

Pichit said these facts were more than enough to establish a conspiracy to help Thaksin escape penalty, which had shaken up the people’s confidence in the judicial system.

Pichit also said the Corrections Department had released Thaksin on parole on grounds that he was ill and could not help himself but it turned out that Thaksin was strong enough to travel around the country after his release.

Pichit said the conspiracy to help Thaksin escape his sentence was a national-level corruption that the NACC needed to tackle urgently.

He said the NACC should also probe Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong, and Pongsawat Neelayothin, permanent secretary at the Justice Ministry, for being part of the conspiracy to help Thaksin.

Speaking at the same rally, Kaewsan Atibodhi, an independent academic, said it was clear that the Supreme Court’s order for Thaksin to be imprisoned was not enforced.

As a result, Kaewsan said the Supreme Court could issue a new order to send Thaksin back to prison without having to wait for the NACC to finish its investigation.

Kaewsan said it was reported that former Democrat MP Charnchai Isarasenarak would submit a complaint with the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Office to deliberate on why Thaksin was not imprisoned for even a single night.

Kaewsan said the court could ask the NACC to submit its case to the court immediately after receiving Charnchai’s complaint. Charnchai said earlier he might submit the complaint to the court on Thursday.

The rally was also joined by former senator Prasarn Maruekapitak. Prasarn said he did not rally to call for a coup but he simply wanted to do the duty of a Thai citizen to protect the judicial system from abuse by anyone. He said no one should be above the justice system.

Jatuporn said he had joined the rally to provide moral support to the NACC in proceeding with the probe.

Jatuporn said the NACC should ask the police hospital to provide medical records of Thaksin for the anti-graft body to check.

If the hospital refuses to comply, the NACC could invoke Article 157 of the Criminal Code to sue the hospital director and the National Police chief and even sue the prime minister, who is the direct superior of the police chief, Jatuporn added.

NACC secretary-general Saroj Puengramphan came out to receive the letter from the network. He said the NACC had resolved to conduct the probe so the network could rest assured that the NACC would carry out its duty to the best of its ability.