Public prosecutors study extradition laws of Thailand and UK

Sirisak Tiyaphan, director general of the Office of the Attorney General's Foreign Litigation Department, said that while waiting for further instructions from the courts and public prosecutors dealing with the cases, lawyers in his unit would study laws of both England and Thailand on the extradition of people wanted at home.

He said that in setting the priority for each case, prosecutors for foreign litigation would also consider the statute of limitations for the different charges the fugitive couple face.

Thaksin, Pojaman and their three children are now in England. Thaksin issued a handwritten statement on Monday, saying he and his wife would prefer to remain there as long as justice and safe¬ty could not be guaranteed back home.

He claimed they faced court trials influenced by political interference that would be unfair.

The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders issued arrest warrants for Thaksin and Pojaman and ordered their Bt13-million bail money seized after they failed to appear for the last hearing of the Ratchadaphisek land case.

Meanwhile, Seksan Bangsomboon, a senior public prosecutor heading the working group on the Ratchadaphisek land case, said that the court had not ordered prosecutors to bring the fugitive defendants back for trial.

He said that he expected the court to make an order regarding the matter at the next hearing of defence witnesses Friday.

Seksan said that with a clear instruction from the court, he would later work with the Foreign Litigation Department in seeking extradition of Thaksin and Pojaman.

He also said that prosecutors have an appointment with the couple on Sept 16 to hear a deci¬sion whether to indict them for another corruption case involv¬ing SC Asset Co. If Thaksin and Pojaman fail to show up that day, he would report to AttorneyGeneral Chaikasem Nitisiri for instruction about further action. The couple's bond of Bt1 million each might be seized if they failed to show up, the prosecutor added.

Nanthasak Poonsuk, another senior prosecutor in the Ratchadaphisek land scandal working group, said meanwhile that he expected the court not to suspend the trial of the case despite the two defendants' absence.

He said that given the fact that the court had heard wit¬nesses in the defendants' absence, it was likely that the court would continue with the last hearing of defence witnesses scheduled on Aug 22 and would schedule the reading of the verdict.

The prosecutor also expect¬ed the court to read its verdict in absentia of the defendants. He said the defence lawyers might ask for court permission to allow the defendants to provide their further testimonies in a written form when they were away.

Meanwhile, PM's Office Minister Choosak Sirinin said the government did not need to clarify former prime minister Thaksin Shinwatra's attack against the country's judiciary.

"He made his personal view and observation and that has nothing to do with the government,'' he said.

In the readout statement broadcast on NBT channel, Thaksin accused the country's judiciary of having a double standard and suffer from political interference. He cited the reason as to why he chose not to show up to fight graft charges against him.

He said the Foreign Ministry would decide the status of Thaksin whether he stayed in the United Kingdom as an asylum seeker, or a tourist, or a resident.