'He won't return till after election'
Ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's legal defence team has advised he wait until after the election to start fighting the charges against him because of concerns about "unfavourable circumstances" regarding his safety and the junta's "bullying tactics".
"Thaksin will not return to his home this week or any time soon," his lawyer Noppadon Patama said yesterday. Noppadon said in the absence of democratic rule, Thaksin could not be assured of a fair trial as the junta was bent on putting him in jail. Thaksin's defence team saw no possibility for fairness in any legal proceedings at the moment and had urged him to clear his name only after the junta was dismantled, he said. Noppadon said he continued to doubt whether his client would be safe should he decide to end his exile at this point. "While waiting for an opportune time to fight his court battle, Thaksin will stop giving interviews in order to forge reconciliation," he said. In regard to Thaksin's frozen assets, a team of defence lawyers will next week lodge an appeal with the Assets Examination Committee, he said. On the summons issued by Department of Special Investigation (DSI) for alleged asset concealment, he said Thaksin was prepared to fight any extradition request in London. "My client will definitely return to hear his charges. But it appears the DSI is eager for him to do so [now] because he might walk right into the killing zone," he said. Noppadon said his client would fight to the fullest extent of the law to repel any legal tactics designed to victimise him and had no plans to elude the law by seeking political asylum. Meanwhile, the Assets Examination Committee will today consider whether to allow Khunying Pojaman Shinawat-ra to postpone her attendance before the committee to July 19 at her request. Lawyers of Khunying Pojaman, wife of former prime minister Thaksin, yesterday submitted a medical certificate for Pojaman saying she has been ill in Singapore and was unable to show up before the Assets Examination Commit-tee that is investigating her Shin share sale. The Department of Special Investigation yesterday extended the deadline by a month for ousted premier Thaksin and four other suspects to report for the indictment session on charges relating to alleged asset concealment. The new deadline is July 26.
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