'No justification to involve DSI in Saxena'

"There is no justification to designate the case for special investigation because police already have the mandate to uncover evidence and unmask culprits, including politicians," he said.

Suthep ruled out the suggestion to reassign the case to the Department of Special Investigation.

The case was about banking fraud and embezzlement and police had the jurisdiction to persue any leads based on evidence, he said.

For example, if Saxena gives statement implicating any politicians, then police are obligated to get to the bottom of the matter otherwise they will face the charge for lapse of duty, he added.

In regard to the Democrat-led censure debate on the case in 1996, he said he and his fellow Democrats had done their job and that it was now up to the law enforcement authorities to allow justice to run its course.

He said informations raised during the censure had been handed over to the authorities who would, in turn, decide how to persue criminal and civil proceedings.

At the time of the censure, all parties concerned, including many Democrats, were caught by surprise with the banking fraud, he said, recounting that his party even assigned a legal team to vet his evidence before the debate.

"Throughout my 30 years in politics, I have never presented false evidence on the House floor," he said.

He insisted he had done his part to expose the scam and would not get involved in the legal proceedings.

He said he had no qualms in having certain political figures, whom he censured in connection with the banking fraud, on the coalition bandwagon.

"Everything should be viewed in perspective; the censure was done and should not be entangled with the legal proceedings," he said.

He dismissed speculation that the Democrats appeared lenient to Saxena in order to shield coalition allies.

The Democrats did everything to convince Saxena to talk about his linkage to politicians, he said, pointing out at one point his party even dispached Deputy Prime Minister Korbsak Sabhavasu to reason with Saxena in Canada.

He also rebutted the accusation from fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, by saying the Democrats did no succumb to political expediency.