If they turn themselves in on May 15 as promised, all nine leaders of the Democratic Alliance against Dictatorship will be immediately charged with terrorism and other crimes, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) said yesterday.
Director general Tharit Phengdit said the nine leaders could be released temporarily on bail or face "confidential measures" prepared by the DSI if they failed to surrender on the date earmarked.
The DAAD leaders' alleged crimes are divided into four categories: terrorism, intimidating officials, assaulting state officials and the public, as well as possessing war weapons. The DSI is only relying on the arrest warrants issued under the Emergency Decree, he added.
He also said that DSI's action against the red-shirt leaders was not hampering the government's reconciliation measures.
"Their charges will only be revoked if they are given lawful amnesty as agreed upon by the government and the Parliament," Tharit said. "The amnesty must stipulate specifically what crimes they will be pardoned for and which crimes would need to be further processed."
Tharit said he was leading a separate DSI investigation into anti-monarchy issues and the probe would begin next week. Two of his deputies and investigators from 12 relevant agencies would be asked to join the investigation, he said, adding that the team would decide later if former PM and Pheu Thai Party chairman Chavalit Yongchaiyudh should be summoned for questioning.
A lawyer representing the nine core red-shirt leaders and seven other senior red shirts had earlier requested that the Criminal Court revoke the arrest warrants, because they were issued illegally under the Emergency Decree.
In his statement, the lawyer said many of the conditions cited under the Emergency Law were present in the 1997 Constitution but had been replaced by the incumbent 2007 charter. Besides, the red-shirt protesters had not committed any serious crimes.