Detained court chief to ask court to free anti-coup leaders

Manit Jitchanklab, told a Thai News Agency reporter from his cell at Bangkok Remand Prison that he had drafted a 23-page statement to be submitted to the Criminal Court by his lawyer Wednesday.

He claimed all the jailed persons were taken from the court without acknowledging police charges.

TNA quoted Manit as saying without signing and accepting charges, they are exercising Article 90 of Thailand's Criminal Code under the terms of which they are entitled to be released, the former chief justice of the Criminal Court said.

All eight persons have denied all the charges against them. They were charged with holding an illegal gathering of more than 10 persons which led to disturbances in the capital, instigating unrest and obstructing police following violent clashes between unarmed police and demonstrators at the home of Privy Council president and former premier Gen. Prem Tinsulanonda on July 22.

Jakraphob Penkair, another jailed anti-coup leader, Tuesday challenged the Crime Suppression Division to issue an arrest warrant to prosecute him on charges of allegedly playing a recording of a taped telephone conversation without authorisation between two judges during a rally at Sanam Luang in May.

Jakraphob has claimed that the taped conversation constituted lese majeste and implied that Gen. Prem had been behind last September 19 bloodless coup which toppled the elected government of Thaksin Shinawatra.