Secretary-general Natjaree Anantasilp said Thaksin’s petition for clemency had been forwarded to the justice minister for his input, reports the Bangkok Post. The application was highly confidential, she added.
“The Justice Ministry has already provided information. This is not something that needs to be tabled before the cabinet. From now on, the process will follow proper procedure,” Ms Natjaree told news reporters at Government House yesterday.
Justice Minister Pol Lt Gen Rutthapon Naowarat has declined to confirm reports that the ministry rejected the appeal for a royal pardon submitted on Thaksin’s behalf. He also stressed the highly classified nature of the request.
Pol Lt Gen Rutthapon said only that his opinion was in line with that of the committee chaired by the justice permanent secretary, which had already submitted its view to the Cabinet Secretariat for further consideration.
Asked whether the pardon request was prompted by legal restrictions on submitting repeated petitions, the minister declined to elaborate, citing multiple legal provisions under review.
He said his assessment was based on Section 261 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which outlines the justice minister’s role in providing opinions on royal pardon requests.
The minister also said he could not confirm whether Thaksin was still legally required to serve a one-year prison term. His written response had been submitted to the Cabinet Secretariat, he added.
On whether the cabinet would be formally informed, he said this remained a matter for the Cabinet Secretariat to decide.
Asked to clarify the term “royal pardon petition", Pol Gen Rutthapon said his opinion was based on the Cabinet Secretariat’s submission.
As recently appointed justice minister, he had reviewed the case within the legal framework and concluded that Thaksin’s petition did not meet the legal criteria, citing multiple reasons. However, he declined to disclose further details.
Pol Lt Gen Rutthapon was appointed the justice minister under the Bhumjaithai Party’s quota,
On whether Thaksin could submit another petition on future auspicious occasions, Pol Lt Gen Rutthapon said he was not yet aware of the details.
Earlier, there were reports that Pol Lt Gen Rutthapon reaffirmed the stance of his predecessor, Pol Col Tawee Sodsong, who supported the Department of Corrections’ recommendation to reject the royal pardon appeal submitted on behalf of Thaksin
An informed source said Thaksin will probably be required to remain in prison and serve his one-year sentence, in accordance with the Supreme Court’s final ruling.