Noppadon says ex-PM had nothing to do with arms seized in Don Mueang
Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will lodge a defamation lawsuit against Democrat MP Sirichoke Sopha over his public statement linking Thaksin with reported arms smuggling into Sri Lanka, legal adviser Noppadol Pattama said yesterday.
Nopppadol said Sirichoke was trying to imply a link between Thaksin and Russian Viktor Bout through a statement that a weaponsloaded aeroplane had landed at Don Meuang Airport in March - the same day Thaksin arrived in Sri Lanka. "Thaksin never knew arms dealer Viktor Bout, either personally or through any business deal, especially in the arms trade," he said.
"He also told me he would never be so evil [as to trade arms]," Noppadol said, before calling on Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to prevent Sirichoke, as a politician, from making such accusations.
Noppadol said he last spoke to Thaksin on Wednesday and that the fugitive was fine but preferred to stay quiet and maintain a lowprofile.
On Tuesday, opposition MP Jatuporn Promphan of the Pheu Thai Party told Parliament that a Russianspeaking person with ties to the government had tried to persuade Bout to claim that Thaksin was behind an incident in March when a cargo plane loaded with weapons was seized at Don Meuang airport.
Jatuporn accused Sirichoke of trying to offer a deal to Bout, who was punished for not cooperating by being handed over to the US authorities to face terrorism charges.
Sirichoke admitted for the first time yesterday he had met with Bout in prison, but only to interview him about "his special interest" in when the cargo of weapons was seized in Thailand - and Thaksin's arrival in Sri Lanka. Media reports in Sri Lanka had linked Thaksin with the arms.
"I wanted to only talk to Bout, whom I know is close to the Ukrainian pilot who flew the plane. Anyway it's good that the matter is now known publicly. So we'll find out who tells lies," he said.
He also contradicted a statement by Bout's wife, who was reportedly present during the interview, that she recorded the conversation and would soon make it public after having it translated into many languages. "Bout's wife and lawyer were not present, and her claim that she had the conversation recorded is hardly possible, as prison rules are against bringing in audio tape recorders," he said.
Asked about the time he met Bout, Sirichoke said it was about noon, and paused when reporters cited a prison record that it was at 4 pm. "I am not quite sure about the time, because my visit was in April," he claimed.
The Corrections Department echoed Sirichoke's statement over recordings, saying that if it existed it would have been done secretly and illegally due to the prison rules.
DirectorGeneral Chartchai Sutthiklom said visitor records did not show Ella Bout and a lawyer had visited the prison at the same time as Sirichoke. "Her statement that she was present during Sirichoke's visit could be based on his misunderstanding, or on her intent to make the issue a political one," he added.
A source at Bangkok Remand Prison, where Bout was held before being transferred to maximumsecurity Bang Khwang after the extradition order last week, denied Nitipoom Yooprom had visited Bout, as he had written in his column. Russianspeaking Nitipoom claimed to have helped with Sirichoke's interview of Bout.
Lak Nitiwawijarn, Bout's lawyer, said the Russian was amused over news reports about his wife's interview recording. Bout will today submit a written request to Abhist and the Bang Khwang prison chief asking for a halt in his extradition to the US.