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Arrest warrant for Thaksin in army slander case

Arrest warrant for Thaksin in army slander case

BANGKOK: The Criminal Court today (Oct 12) issued a warrant for the arrest of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra after he failed to show up for the first hearing in a defamation case filed against him by the army.

Monday 12 October 2015 05:41 PM


Fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra was met by supporters when he arrived to address Lao businessmen at a hotel in Vientiane in April 2012. (Bangkok Post file photo)

Fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra was met by supporters when he arrived to address Lao businessmen at a hotel in Vientiane in April 2012. (Bangkok Post file photo)

The case was filed by Maj Gen Sarayuth Klinmahom, director of the Office of the Judge-Advocate of the Royal Thai Army.

Thaksin is accused of defaming the army during interviews in South Korea from May 19-22. The interviews were posted on YouTube and other online media.

In his interviews Thaksin falsely accused the army, portraying it as a “dreadful institution” and a danger to the nation, according to the lawsuit.

The court accepted the lawsuit for further proceedings and set Oct 12 for him to show up for witness examination.

His lawyer testified to the court this morning that his client could not be present since he is in political exile, residing in a foreign country.

The court found Thaksin had intention to evade the lawsuit and issued a warrant for his arrest. The statute of limitations in the case is 10 years.

Read original story here.