Not guilty, your honour

You never know what you are going to get. And so it is the case for Thana Benjathikul, a lawyer for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Thana became the man in the news when he was appointed to defend Thaksin in the legal cases against him. But now the lawyer is making the headlines as one of the "usual suspects" accused of trying to bribe the judges.

Matichon yesterday interviewed Thana to find out what he had to say about the episode on June 10 when a box of pastries filled with Bt2 million in cash was discovered at the Supreme Court.

The following are excerpts from Thana's interview with Matichon ahead of the court decision on this case yesterday. Here's what Thana said to Matichon before the court's ruling.

Q: At present, in how many cases are you representing Thaksin?

A: I am assigned only to defamation charges that Thaksin filed with the civil court.

Q: As for the case involving the box of pastries with Bt2 million, why suddenly have you become a suspect?

A: On that date, I went to Kasikorn Bank at 10:30 and then I went to Siam City Bank's headquarters. I had lunch with my mother. I learned that there would be a trial involving a politician but I didn't go to the court. I had my hair cut in the afternoon and went back to the office. The next morning, my friends asked me if I had taken cash to the court. I was surprised. So, I read the news and found out that the People's Alliance for Democracy said that the person who carried the cash had 'T' as an initial. I protest my innocence. I didn't go to the court on that day. I was lucky because normally when Than [Thaksin] went to the court, I often accompanied him for moral support."

Q: Have you heard of or been  accused of anything like this in your career?

A: Bribery is a serious issue in the justice process. Lawyers wouldn't dare to do that. I can't say whether such a practice exists… The court is the last resort and I believe that it has to be very careful… For Bt2 million, I think it's unbelievable. I couldn't believe this could happen in an information society like this. People would know. It's unlikely.

Q: But it happened.

A: Yes, it did. I see four possibilities. The incident might have been staged to discredit the defendant, to make him a scapegoat. Secondly, the money was meant to facilitate the court's work. Third, it might be a misunderstanding - the wrong box. Anything is possible. Fourth, the bribe may be real. It depends on how you look at it."

Another of Thaksin's lawyers, Thana Tansiri, and his chief lawyer, Pichit Chuenban, were found guilty and sentenced to six months' imprisonment for trying to bribe the judges.