Top Thai court calls witnesses in probe into Thaksin's hospital stay
Thaksin Shinawatra returned to Thailand in August 2023 after more than a decade in exile. (AFP pic)
BANGKOK : Thailand's top court today ordered 20 witnesses to testify in a case over former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's hospital stay following his return from exile.
Thaksin, 75, returned to Thailand in August 2023 after more than a decade in exile and was sentenced to eight years in prison on graft-related charges.
He was sent to a detention facility but quickly moved to a private room in a police hospital due to health issues, sparking public speculation that he was being given special treatment.
The Supreme Court's criminal division for holders of political positions is investigating whether he served his sentence properly, and today summoned witnesses including doctors from the department of corrections to appear next month.
Winyat Chatmontree, head of Thaksin's legal team, said the dates could clash with a separate criminal trial on lese-majeste charges over comments the former premier made to South Korean media a decade ago, which is also set to begin next month.
The Supreme Court refused his request to reschedule its hearings.
Former Manchester City owner Thaksin, ousted in a 2006 coup, returned to Thailand on the same day the Pheu Thai Party, led by his daughter Paetongtarn, formed a coalition government, fuelling speculation of a political deal.
He spent around six months in the Police General Hospital before being pardoned by King Maha Vajiralongkorn and freed on parole.
The legal developments come as the government faces a border dispute with Cambodia and internal tensions within its coalition.
Thaksin remains popular among his support base but is strongly opposed by the country's royalist and military establishment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Barnama
3 hours ago
- Barnama
Cambodia Invites Thailand To Settle Border Dispute At ICJ
Minister in Charge of the State Secretariat of Border Affairs of Cambodia Lam Chea (right), and Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs' border affairs advisor, Prasas Prasasvinitchai. Photo credit: The conclusion of the sixth Joint Border Commission meeting between Cambodia and Thailand in Phnom Penh on Sunday. Photo credit: Agence Kampuchea Presse By Vijian Paramasivam PHNOM PENH, June 15 (Bernama) -- Cambodia has invited Thailand to jointly resolve their border dispute at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), describing it as the best option to end the ongoing dispute. Cambodian Minister in Charge of the State Secretariat of Border Affairs, Lam Chea, said referring the matter to the ICJ would ensure a fair and impartial solution to the border controversy. bootstrap slideshow He said the four contested areas – comprising Mom Bei and the temple complexes of Ta Moan Thom, Ta Moan Tauch and Ta Krabei – would no longer be included in future meetings of Cambodia-Thailand Joint Boundary Commission (JBC). 'Cambodia will begin legal proceedings independently, despite Thailand's rejection of the ICJ's jurisdiction,' he said in a statement after the sixth Cambodia-Thailand JBC meeting here. The two-day meeting, held after a 12-year hiatus, ended on Sunday. Thailand's delegation was headed by Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs' border affairs advisor Prasas Prasasvinitchai. During the meeting, the Cambodian delegation also rejected the map drawn by Thailand. 'In this regard, the Cambodian side categorically rejects the map unilaterally drawn and used by the Thai side, which has been the root cause of past, present and potential future border disputes,' Lam said.
Malay Mail
6 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Bukit Aman launches disciplinary investigation into Ampang cop over alleged hotel invite in viral clip
KUALA LUMPUR, June 15 — Bukit Aman's Integrity and Standards Compliance Department (JIPS) is conducting a disciplinary investigation into a police officer accused of inviting a woman to meet and check into a hotel, as alleged in a video that has gone viral on social media. Its director, Datuk Seri Azri Ahmad, said a police report on the incident was lodged yesterday by the chief of the Pandan Indah police station. 'The case is being investigated under Section 509 of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. 'JIPS Bukit Aman is also carrying out a concurrent disciplinary probe into the junior police officer involved, including aspects of supervision,' he said in a statement today. He added that firm action would be taken against any officer or supervisor if complaints are found to be substantiated. Earlier, national news agency Bernama reported that the woman who uploaded the video of the conversation — allegedly insulting to female modesty — has been urged to come forward to assist with the investigation. Ampang Jaya district police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Azam Ismail said police had detected a 1-minute-30-second video showing a conversation between a police officer and a woman of unidentified ethnicity. The clip, which allegedly demeaned the woman's modesty, was posted on TikTok by a user named shaamajinbuulalu and later spread to Instagram.
Free Malaysia Today
6 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Cops seek woman's help after alleged ‘indecent proposal' by police officer
Screengrab from the video showing a conversation between a woman and a police officer, allegedly containing suggestive remarks. PETALING JAYA : Police have urged a woman, featured in a viral video in which an officer is heard making suggestive remarks to her, to assist in the investigation. Ampang Jaya police chief Azam Ismail said the 90-second video, believed to have been initially uploaded on TikTok, began circulating on Instagram and other platforms yesterday afternoon. 'The police officer has been identified and removed from active duty. 'A disciplinary investigation is also under way,' Bernama quoted him as saying in a statement today. The case is being investigated under Section 509 of the Penal Code for insulting the modesty of a person, and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for improper use of network facilities. In the video, the officer is heard inviting the woman to a hotel. Separately, the director of Bukit Aman's integrity and compliance department, Azri Ahmad, said they are conducting a disciplinary investigation against the officer and his supervisors. 'This department will not hesitate to take stern action against any police officer or supervising officer if the complaint is found to be valid,' he said in a statement.
