Thaksin does not have to attend in person - tribunal
The Constitution Tribunal said yesterday that former Thai Rak Thai Party leader Thaksin Shinawatra could testify and provide evidence through documentation in an electoral fraud case.
The ousted prime minister would not have to appear in person unless the attorney-general or other parties requested more evidence. In that case, he might be tried using video conferencing. The tribunal has agreed to hold the first trial against Thai Rak Thai and two small parties on January 16, with Thaksin scheduled to testify as a witness on March 6. It yesterday summoned representatives from the Thai Rak Thai, Pattana Chart Thai and Thai Ground parties to hear verification of their filed witness and evidence lists, and to find out if the tribunal allows the use of the witnesses and evidence and whether all the parties involved accept them. The tribunal will summon the Democrat and Progressive Democratic parties to hear the verification of their witness and evidence lists today. The Democrats will send Suwaroj Palang, Nipit Intarasombat and Wirat Kalayasiri as representatives. Thai Rak Thai allegedly hired two small parties to compete in the April 2 election. The Democrat Party, which did not contest the April 2 election, was accused of hiring the Progressive Democratic Party to frame Thai Rak Thai. The attorney-general filed 64 witnesses as well as 279 documents and nine evidence objects. Meanwhile, Thai Rak Thai filed 77 witnesses, 99 documents and 99 evidence objects. Pattana Chart Thai filed 14 witnesses and Thai Ground filed 12 witnesses. Tribunal member Somchai Pongsatha said the Tribunal had initially allowed the parties to use all the documents and objects they filed. After discussions, however, all the parties agreed to cut down on the number of witnesses at the request of the tribunal. The court has allowed the parties to consider the extent of the cuts and the witnesses filed by the attorney-general until Monday. The parties will also decide whether to include Nam Yimyaem, head of the Election Commission (EC) investigation committee, as a witness. Thai Rak Thai and the two small parties accepted the existence of the EC's report on the case, which was filed by the attorney-general, but they did not accept the content of the report. The case could lead to the dissolution of all the parties involved.
Atthayuth Butrsripoom The Nation
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