Shinawatras warned against delay tactics

Attorney-General Pachara Yutidhammadamrong said yesterday that public prosecutors would rule on the Ratchadaphisek land deal based on the evidence, and reminded the accused - former premier Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife Khunying Pojaman - not to resort to delaying tactics.
"Prosecutors are ready to dispense justice by reviewing the defence petition rebutting the charges, although they will not allow any attempts to delay the start of the trial," he said. The Assets Examination Committee (AEC) is scheduled to forward its report on the controversial land deal by Thursday, and prosecutors have been notified that the defence team for Pojaman will petition for the charges be dropped, he said. "The defence petition should raise specific questions on the graft probe leading to indictments instead of abusing the defence's right of rebuttal in order to buy time," he said. In an earlier tax case relating to a share transaction between Pojaman and her brother Bhanapot Damapong, the defence invoked the right to rebut the charges before the issuing of the prosecution order, he said. In that rebuttal, prosecutors found the defence raised no new points and that the AEC fully complied with graft proceedings, he said. If the defence decided to repeat the tactic of filing frivolous petitions, prosecutors would proceed to rule on whether to launch litigation without factoring in such petitions, he said. AEC spokesman Sak Korsaengruang said the AEC would submit the investigation report on Pojaman's land deal and discuss with the Attorney-General about the case on Thursday. The AEC has also agreed to publicise its investigation report on the land deal to the public, so that peo-ple will understand that the AEC was not biased against the alleged people in proceeding with the case, he said. The publicised report will include legal angles and implications. AEC members Udom Fuangfung, chairman of the investigation panel, and Khunying Jaruvan Maintaka will appear on TV to clarify the case.
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