Foreign Ministry files charge against Jatuporn

MFA deputy spokesman Thanee Thonpakdee launched the legal proceedings with the Crime Suppression Division.

"The MFA decided to take action after consulting with the Office of the Attorney General," Thani said in reference to the legal advice of public prosecutors on how to contain the damage caused by Jatuporn's defamatory remarks.

Jatuporn made the unauthorised disclosure of a classified memorandum sent by Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya to the prime minister analysing the Thai-Cambodian ties. He asserted that the ministerial plan to "get rid of" Thaksin, seen as the root cause for the soured bilateral relations, was actually a code word for killing. The MFA rigorously denied his allegation.

CSD acting commander Maj General Supisarn Bhakdinarinath said the investigation into the alleged defamation will proceed under the supervision of the Central Investigation Bureau.

The litigation against Jatuporn is seen as a legal tactics designed to gag him following his threat to use the so-called killing plot to mobilise the red shirts for street protests next month. If the case reaches the trial stage, the prosecution is entitled to request for a court's injunction against his remarks.

In regard to the leak of the memorandum to Jatuporn, Vice Foreign Minister Panich Vikitsreth said an investigation has been underway to unmask the source of the leak.

He vowed to take legal action against the individuals responsible for the leak and those behind the unauthorised circulation.

He said the ongoing investigation would have to establish the authenticity of the leaked memorandum before proceeding to identify the culprits.

No one should hastily draw conclusion that MFA officials were the culprits since the perpetrators might have stolen the document, he said.