The Supreme Court on Wednesday decided in a vote of 103-to-4 to reject the defence petition for an appellate review on the Bt46 billion asset seizure case involving fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra and his family members.
The decision ended the judicial proceedings on the case, shutting down any future attempts to reopen or appeal the asset seizure verdict
Of the 142-member full bench of the high court, 119 judges were present to cast votes. The full-bench decision needs a simple majority of 72 votes to form a conclusion.
The Supreme Court Wednesday decided against launching an appellate review on the Bt46 billion asset seizure case involving fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra and his family members.
The Court judges convene a full bench and voted to reject the appeal.
In February, the special graft court ruled in favour of confiscating Thaksin's ill-gotten gains and though the verdict was considered final, based on a one-tier review by the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders, the judicial procedure allows for an appeal in the face of fresh evidence.
The defence submitted appellate arguments in March, meeting the 30-day deadline.
The high court appointed a five-member panel, led by Supreme Court vice president Pirapol Pichayawat, to vet the defence arguments. The vetting process is completed and the report submitted to Supreme Court president Sobchok Sukharom.
In the report, which is considered classified, the panel members have reportedly noted that the defence brought up arguments that were not part of the judicial inquiry leading to the asset seizure.
The high court debated and voted to determine if the defence arguments will constitute fresh evidence warranting appellate review. Should the appellate review be launched, the Supreme Court's bench of judges would be responsible for reviewing and deciding the outcome.