PAD pushes for Jakrapob trial

Retired military officers affiliated with the anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy yesterday pressured the police to make quicker progress in an investigation on a lese-majeste case against former PM's Office minister Jakrapob Penkair.

PAD figures General Preecha Iamsuphan and Admiral Arun Sermsamran filed a petition with national police chief General Patcharawat Wongsuwan, calling for a quick and fair police investigation.

The police's deputy spokesman, Maj-General Ruangsak Jarit-ek, accepted the petition on the Patcharawat's behalf.

Preecha said the PAD wanted to know about the progress of the case against Jakrapob.

He warned the group would act if the police failed to make significant progress by Saturday.

"Don't treat this case with double standards. It must progress as fast as a [similar] case against Darunee Chanchoengsilapakul," Preecha said.

He was referring to a pro-government female activist who was arrested on Tuesday in a separate lese-majeste case.

Jakrapob is accused of making derogatory comments about the monarchy during his lecture on Thai politics and the patronage system, delivered in August last year at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand.

He resigned as PM's Office minister in May amid heightened political pressure.

Police Maj-General Surapon Thuanthong, deputy commander of the Central Investigation Bureau, yesterday said Jakrapob's case was being treated like other similar cases.

He said investigators were gathering evidence and he expected them to complete their work soon, before forwarding their findings to the bureau's committee dealing with the matter.

The panel will then determine whether to forward the case to the national police chief for further action.

A police source said yesterday that the probe had been delayed because investigators were looking into a related petition filed against Jakrapob in May.

The investigators are expected to complete their work this week after a final questioning of the plaintiff.

The probe report is expected to be ready next week, said the source.