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Published on January 9, 2008

After staying abroad as a fugitive since August, Khunying Pojaman Shinawatra - wife of ousted prime minister Thaksin - returned home yesterday to kick off her defence against corruption charges levelled at both of them.

Her arrival revived the judicial process suspended since she fled, with the Supreme Court scheduling its first historic hearing on her case for January 23.

The Sup-reme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions and the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) released her on bail and banned her from leaving the country without permission.

Thaksin is still living overseas in self-imposed exile.

Pojaman landed at Suvarnabhumi Airport about 9.30am on a Thai Airways International flight from Hong Kong. As soon as she left the aircraft, police served her with an arrest warrant issued last August 14 after she and Thaksin had ignored a court summons.

The two are facing abuse-of-power charges related to the purchase of land in Bangkok's Ratchadaphisek area in 2003.

Assistant national police chief Lt-General Watcharapon Prasarnratchakit escorted Pojaman to the restricted area of the passenger terminal as other police beefed up security around the airport.

While an army of local and foreign media crews was waiting in the arrival hall, no one saw Pojaman because police reportedly sent a vehicle to whisk her to the Supreme Court via a restricted exit of the airport.

Her children and former deputy prime minister Pol Gen-eral Chidchai Vanasatidya accompanied her on the way to the court.

Dozens of supporters cheered up when she appeared at the Supreme Court at about 11am.

The court granted Pojaman temporary release on Bt5-million bail under two conditions - that she should not leave the country without the court's permission and she should not interfere in the judicial proceedings.

The court also revoked the arrest warrant against her.

January 23 was set as the opening date for her trial on charges of leveraging Thaksin's authority as premier to win an auction of a prime site from a government agency by submitting a bid at one-third of the property's appraised value.

"She came here today to prove her innocence," her attorney Noppadon Pattama said. Pojaman refused to give any comments.

Pojaman left the Supreme Court at 11.45am to report to the DSI to hear charges in a separate case involving the Shinawatra family's real-estate holding company.

Pojaman denied all the DSI's charges of concealing the shareholder structure of SC Asset Corp. No date has yet been set for her questioning in connection with the case.

She was released on Bt1-million bail on condition that she has to ask for permission from the department if she wants to go abroad.

In a statement posted on a website, Thaksin supported Pojaman's return to face charges. He said he would also come back at an "appropriate time".

Thaksin said there were three major reasons for his wife's return - to pay her last respects to HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana, to defend herself in the corruption cases and to be reunited with her children.

Pojaman attended a prayer by Buddhist monks for the Princess at the Grand Palace yesterday evening.

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said Pojaman had the right to return to the Kingdom at any time to defend herself.

A Metropolitan Police source said security had been beefed up to protect Pojaman. After her return to Bangkok, teams of experts were assigned to keep a close eye on the premises of the Criminal Court, DSI, Election Commission as well as the Shinawatra home and routes to such places, the source said.

The Nation