Court sets schedule for Ratchadaphisek case

The prosecution and the defence will deliver their opening statements on that date, to be followed by the hearing of witness testimonies from July 8.

The prosecution and the defence will each call 22 witnesses to the stand.

Each side has been allocated five sessions.

The prosecution witnesses will testify on July 8, 15, 22 and 25. The defence will take the stand on August 1, 5, 15, 19 and 22.

The high court has reserved two extra days, August 26 and 29, for the examination of additional evidence, if submitted.

Public prosecutors and defence lawyers are expected to inform the court within seven days on how they plan to schedule their witnesses.

Lead defence lawyer Pichit Chuenban said Thaksin and Pojaman would testify in their defence, although the dates for their respective testimony have yet to be finalised.

"I confirm that Thaksin and Pojaman will take the witness stand, although I am still uncertain whether the two are to testify on the same day," he said.

He said the trial proceedings would be open to the public, dismissing speculation that the defence plans to petition for a closed-door session.

Chief prosecutor Seksan Bangsomboon said the prosecution had initially planned to summon 42 witnesses, but had no objection to the revised list because of the duplication of defence and prosecution witnesses.

The first prosecution witness called might be either the lead investigator of the Assets Examination Committee or activist Veera Somkwamkid, who filed the complaint on the Bt772-million land purchase, Seksan said.