Thailand’s attorney-general (AG) has decided to charge paroled former prime minister Thaksin with lèse majesté, related to a remark he made to South Korean media on May 21, 2015.
The AG has, however, agreed to postpone Thaksin’s indictment before the Criminal Court to June 18, on the grounds that the suspect has COVID-19 and his doctor has advised him to rest until June 3rd, spokesman for the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG), Prayut Pecharakun, said this morning.
Once a suspect is formally charged by a prosecutor, they will immediately be brought before the court to be indicted.
Thaksin’s lawyer submitted a petition to the AG last night, seeking a postponement of the indictment until at least June 25, claiming that he is suffering from COVID-19. A doctor’s certificate, together with the doctor’s recommendation that he should take a rest for seven days, was attached to the petition.
The former prime minister did not show up this morning to hear the AG’s decision, but sent his lawyer to acknowledge the charge on his behalf.
Prayut explained that the AG decided to postpone the indictment of Thaksin until June 18, instead of June 25 as requested, because there is a doctor’s certification of his COVID infection and need for a week of rest.
He also said that the postponement of indictment will not affect course of justice or change the AG’s decision to charge him with lèse majesté.
In this case, Pongniwat Yuthapanboripan, a former AG, decided to indict Thaksin on September 19 2016, but the indictment process was suspended because Thaksin was in self-imposed exile abroad.
After his return to Thailand last August, and eventual treatment at the Police General Hospital, the director-general of the AG’s investigative office, along with police, visited Thaksin on January 17, to notify him of the lèse majesté charge.
Thaksin denied the charge and appealed for justice, prompting the incumbent AG to order police to conduct further investigations and file additional evidence with the AG.
