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sriracha john
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A suspect in Sondhi case files suit against Thani
Army Sergeant-Major Panya Srihe-ra, wanted over the assassination attempt on media mogul Sondhi Limthongkujl, on Monday filed a suit against Deputy National Police Chief Thani Somboonsap and another police, accusing them of malfeasance in office.
Panya Srihera from the Lop Buri Special Warfare Centre had his lawyer Banyat Jityen file suit against Thani, chief investigator of the Sondhi case and Pol Col Wicharnwat Borrirakkul, an investigator under the Metropolitan Police Bureau, accusing them of violating Article 157 and 200 of the Criminal Law.
The suit said Thani and a team of 10 police in charge of the Sondhi case had accused the defendant of being one of the suspects in the attempt on Sondhi's life, carrying arms in public places, shooting guns in public and attempted premeditated murder, which was not true.
The suit said on the day the incident took place, Panya was in the committee to make and offering of robes and other needs to monks at Wat Din Daeng in Trad's Khao Saming District. The defendant was fired from the office as a result of the plaintiffs' accusation. The plaintiff's family has also been humiliated.
The suit said the defendant would surrender to police when he was ensured of his own safety before a preliminary hearing.
The Criminal Court accepted the suit and scheduled the preliminary hearing for October 5.
Banyat said he met Panya at a restaurant in Bangkok's Pracha Chuen area after his relatives asked him to represent him in the case. Panya promised him that he would surrender to face charges before the preliminary hearing.
Banyat said he would summon four witnesses to the preliminary hearing to prove that Panya was at the merit-making ceremony chaired by General Chetta Thanajaro. He said he also had photos and VCDs that showed Panya was at the ceremony to be presented to the court.
-- The Nation 2009-08-03
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Thaksin Claims More Petition Signatures Remain at Red-shirt Radio Stations
During his latest phone-in, ousted premier and fugitive Thaksin Shinawatra said a considerable number of petitioner signatures have been collected requesting a Royal Pardon on his behalf, but the signatures are still at various red-shirts' provincial radio stations.
During his phone-in to Rak Chiang Mai Group 51's radio station, the former prime minister Thaksin claimed there were a considerable number of petition signatures that were still being kept at various local radio stations. He said that if these signatures were sent via usual postal service they would be lost and would not reach the core red-shirt group in Bangkok.
He added that his supporters should not trust sending their signatures with their district chiefs either, as he claimed there are groups who are trying to stifle people's legitimate political expression by misusing the existing bureaucracy.
He said that even if the government purports itself to be democratic, their attempt to limit citizen rights is mindless.
His latest phone-in shed a new light on Thaksin's role in the petition drive, as he had previously claimed that he has had no part in the red-shirt's petition efforts to ask for a Royal Pardon on his behalf and he has said that his supporters started the movement by themselves.
The movement is deemed inappropriate on two accounts; first, it is deemed an attempt to pressure His Majesty the King and, second, Thaksin is a self-exiled fugitive which renders him ineligible for Royal Pardon.
The movement has been met with much criticism from academics who said it was inappropriate and not in accordance with usual protocol. For those to conventionally seek a royal pardon, they must be a convict whose cases have been finalized and are serving time in prison. Relatives of eligible convicts can also petition for a royal pardon on their behalf.
The phone-in implies that Thaksin is taking a different stance, turning this movement into a matter of citizen rights.
-- Tan Network 2009-08-03
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Suspect in Sondhi's Case Files Suit against Chief Investigator
The lawyer of one of the two suspects in the assassination attempt against People's Alliance for Democracy leader Sondhi Limthongkul has filed a malfeasance suit against the chief investigator of the case on his client's behalf.
Sergeant Panya Srihera, formerly of the Special Warfare Unit in Lop Buri and a suspect in the assassination case against People's Alliance for Democracy, or PAD, leader Sondhi Limthongkul, has sent his lawyer Banyat Jityen to file a malfeasance suit against deputy national police chief Police General Thani Sombunsap, chief investigator of the case.
He also pressed the same charge against Police Colonel Wicharnwat Barirakkul , who sought the arrest warrant against him.
Panya submitted evidence to accompany his suit, arguing that he was not in Bangkok when Sondhi was attacked on April 17.
The evidence comprised photos showing him taking part in a merit-making rite at Dindaeng Temple in Trat province, with former defence minister General Chetta Thanajaro presiding over the ceremony.
The lawyer said his client is worried about his safety and justice if he turns himself in now but he promised to bring Panya to meet police before October 5. He said he has no way to directly contact his client, who is on the run, except through relatives.
-- Tan Network 2009-08-03
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BMA insists it will not pay 6th installment of Austrian fire vehicles
Deputy Bangkok Governor Malinee Sukvejchaworakij Monday insisted that the city administration would not pay the sixth installment of the purchase of fire vehicles from Australia.
Malinee said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration hoped a committee of 11 public prosecutors would file charges against the supplier of the fire trucks and boats in time for the BMA to prevent the Krung Thai Bank from remitting the sixth installment worth Bt750 million to the supplier through an Austrian bank.
The sixth installment is scheduled to be paid on August 10.
The BMA has inked a contract to buy the fire vehicles for Bt6.687 billion from Steyr-Daimler-Puch. The BMA has paid five installments for the supplier for Bt3.905 billion but decided to cancel the purchase after the National Anti-Corruption Commission found that the project was full with corruption.
-- The Nation 2009-08-03
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Man accused of killing prostitute named
An Auckland computer programmer charged with the murder of a Thai prostitute has lost his bid for continued name suppression.
Gordon Wayne Hieatt, 47, is charged with the murder of Nuttidar Vaikaew.
Ms Vaikaew, 29, known to her clients as Sky, was discovered in her home in the Auckland suburb of Western Springs on 12 May. Police say it appears she had died several weeks earlier on 17 April.
On Monday afternoon, Mr Hieatt appeared in Auckland District Court seeking continued name interim suppression.
Defence lawyer Nikolas Wintour told the court Mr Hieatt is at a high risk of suicide.
Crown prosecutor Rachael Reed opposed continued interim name suppression, saying Mr Hieatt was no longer under close observation and there were no concerns about his mental health.
Judge Michael Behrens ruled there were no grounds for continued interim name suppression.
Mr Hieatt was further remanded in custody until a further pre-depositions hearing on 17 August.
- Radio New Zealand / 2009-08-03
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You're right Koo... this isn't a Thai Red Shirt... it's American baseball pitcher that plays for the Cincinnati Reds demonstrating his "flaming fastball" pitch... while his fellow Cincinnati teammate below shows off his split-finger Molotov pitch...
btw, thank you for the dramatic shots of Reds in Action, frodo...
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100 Thaksin's supporters rally against Abhisit
Some 100 supporters of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra rallied in front of the Government House to denounce the government's campaign against the red-shirt movement gathering of signatures to petition His Majesty for Thaksin's pardon.
The demonstrators called themselves the People's Council for Democracy. They wore black with a red scarf carrying "Truth Today" words.
They demanded the government to stop all campaigns against the Thaksin-pardon petition drive. They moved from the Interior Ministry to the Phitsanulok Road in front of the Government House at 11 am.
-- The Nation 2009-08-03
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- Banned -- Banned --Banned -- Banned -
UPDATE... in tribute to the aforementioned trolls... he's been identified...
Man on murder charge named
The man accused of murdering a Thai sex worker in Auckland had his name suppression lifted in Auckland District Court today.
Gordon Hieatt, a 47-year-old computer programmer, is charged with murdering 48-year-old Nuttidar Vaikaew.
The body of Ms Vaikaew, known to her clients as Sky, was found at a Western Springs house on May 12. Police believe she was killed on April 17.
Name suppression was granted at Hieatt's previous appearance after his lawyer Nicholas Wintour argued he was at a high risk of self-harm and releasing his name would increase that risk.
Mr Wintour said today name suppression should continue until a risk assessment was completed by a doctor hired by the defence.
But prosecutor Rachael Reed said Hieatt had been put back into a "general population" area because doctors believed there were much reduced concerns over his safety.
The open justice principle which saw names routinely published therefore applied, she said.
Judge Mike Behrens said it appeared concern for Hieatt's safety had diminished, therefore there were insufficient grounds for his name to remain suppressed.
Hieatt, who wore a black suit with a blue tie, was remanded in custody to reappear in Auckland District Court later this month for a further pre-depositions hearing.
- New Zealand Herald / 2009-08-03
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In this case, I know you Farangs dont have alternative sources to the only media you can linguistically read.
Haha, you are funny.
No, wait, I lied.
But you sure are efficient in copy-pasting the same poorly hidden insults in each and every post.
I laugh because this often-repeated nonsense is written under the ridiculous premise that he ISN'T farang himself and amazingly expects or presumes that readers will accept that he is Thai.... which, of course, is comical. He's about as Thai as German Weiner Schnitzel.
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Issuance of two and three-digit lottery tickets by the Government Lottery Bureau.
Damage to state: 37.790 billion baht. +
Care to explain exactly how the state was damaged here? I challenge you or anyone else to produce an articulate argued case.
Most reasonable observers felt on the lottery charge there was no damage at all, indeed the opposite.Nor was there any evidence of corruption.The offence was essentially one of illegal procedure, though not of course yet proved.I'm not condoning sloppy procedural practice by the way.
Of course if one takes one opinions from the Nation or Bangkok Post in a lazy uncritical way, I suppose it doesn't much matter.But to those who wonder about the list of charges consider this.If an outright lie such as the lottery charge is passed around as fact how unreliable might be the other charges.The reality is that the charges against Thaksin are rather thin.
http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Thaksin-30-M...97.html&hl=
Thaksin And 30 Members Of His Cabinet Indicted, total of 47 indicted on a variety of charges
Meanwhile, the AEC panel probing the two-and three-digit lottery scam had found more evidence of irregularities in the use of funds earned from sales, AEC member Udom Fuangfung said.
The panel extended its investigation after finding the Social Development and Human Security Ministry had returned 700 million baht to the Government Lottery Office (GLO) and the Education Ministry had handed over several hundred million more, claiming the money was student grants between 2003-2004.
http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Thaksin-Accu...24#entry1508124
15 Billion Baht of lottery proceeds misused, AEC says
Udom said the panel suspected irregularities. It believed that had the money been used in accordance with the law, the agencies would have exhausted the funds. The AEC will summon GLO officials over the unused money.
The committee reported that all 47 individuals were alleged to violate the 1974 Government Lottery Act for their involvement in the lottery scheme’s initiation and approving such lottery without authorization.
The group has also violated the 1948 Treasury Reserves Act for unauthorized spending of earned revenues from lottery sales along with breaching three other monetary laws by illegally acquired tax exemption privileges.
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Government to check names seeking Royal Pardon for Thaksin
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday the government would check the name list requesting a Royal Pardon for former premier Thaksin Shinawatra for fear that people were tricked into signing the petition.
"Those who file the petition must take responsibility if they duped the people. We will take legal action if there is any irregularity,'' Abhisit said.
The red shirts would have to submit the petition through the Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary, which is authorised to decide whether it could be lodged, he said.
The office normally seeks the government's opinion first and the government must look for any discrepancies.
Abhisit said the Council of University Presidents of Thailand had earlier forwarded its opinion to the office that the red shirts may have an ulterior motive in filing the petition even though it realised that such a petition could not be accepted.
Abhisit defended the Interior Ministry for opening a channel for people who had lent their signatures to withdraw them, saying the ministry was concerned they might have been misled.
Pheu Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit said the people were entitled to appeal to His Majesty the King according to Article 91 of the Constitution and the government should let them exercise their rights.
He said the Party would file a complaint on Wednesday with the National Anti-Corruption Commission against Interior Minister Chaovarat Chanweerakul and the ministry's permanent secretary Wichai Srikwan for instructing governors and district chiefs to oppose the petition and urge people to withdraw their names. He accused the two of malfeasance for violating Articles 157 and 259 of the Criminal Code.
Thaksin phoned in to a community radio programme in Chiang Mai attacking the government for depriving citizens of their rights for the move to block the petition.
"If the petition is sent through the Thai post office, or district chief it will go missing,'' he said.
A group called "Thais who love peace", led by Dr Wallop Yangtrong, held a press conference to attack the Council of University Presidents of Thailand for opposing the signature drive, saying the people have the right to seek royal mercy and it is the royal prerogative to make that decision.
He questioned the move to block the petition as a possible offence to the power vested in the monarchy.
-- The Nation 2009-08-03
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Thai Government scrapes a D-grade for first 6 months
resulting in an average 6.93 out of 10 for its work
By John Le Fevre
Classical five-point discrete evaluation with grades is the system most commonly used in the United States,Grade Percentage GPA value
A 90-100 3.5-4.0
B 80-89 2.5-3.49
C 70-79 1.5-2.49
D 60-69 1.0-1.49
F 0 - 59 0.0
Using the scale provided and considering the government just narrowly missed getting a C-, would suggest the thread title be correctly renamed for improved accuracy:
Thai Government scrapes a D+grade for first 6 months
Then it wouldn't be a five graded system would it?
But hey, lets move away from the KISS principle.
If you're so keen to pat the government on the back why not split the A grade into A++, A+, A, A-, A-- and say they got an A-?
If you're choosing to use only 5 grades, then the "-" should be dropped entirely and only "D" used.
It was the inaccuracy of reflecting a 69 as a D- and not the correct the D+ that I was addressing in the thread title.
Apologies for wishing to have accuracy reflected in the news.
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Thai Government scrapes a D-grade for first 6 months
resulting in an average 6.93 out of 10 for its work
By John Le Fevre
Classical five-point discrete evaluation with grades is the system most commonly used in the United States,Grade Percentage GPA value
A 90-100 3.5-4.0
B 80-89 2.5-3.49
C 70-79 1.5-2.49
D 60-69 1.0-1.49
F 0 - 59 0.0
Using the scale provided and considering the government just narrowly missed getting a C-, would suggest the thread title be correctly renamed for improved accuracy:
Thai Government scrapes a D+grade for first 6 months
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ABAC Poll: People want Thaksin to petition by himself
BANGKOK, 2 August 2009 (NNT) – ABAC Poll reveals that most Thai people want the former Prime Minister Thaksin to petition for Royal Pardon by himself.
Director of ABAC Poll Research Office Mr. Noppadon Kannikar revealed the ‘ABAC Real Time Poll’ about people’s recognition and awareness to the government’s work between Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva’s administration and Police Lieutenant-Colonel Thaksin Shinawatra’s administration.
The survey was conducted among over 18-year-old people in 18 provinces nationwide covering 1,484 households on August 1, 2009.
It found that 73.4% of people considered that the current political atmosphere was not improved or worse than the beginning of the year. In regards to economic affairs, 60.6% of the respondents considered that it was not improved or worse. Meanwhile 71.6% of people considered that unity among people in the country was not improved or worse.
Regarding their recognition to the news, which was reported during the former Prime Minister Police Lieutenant-Colonel Thaksin’s administration compared to the Prime Minister Abhistit Vejjajiva’s administration, 78.8% of people recognized the corruption in Police Lieutenant-Colonel Thaksin’s era, while 65.8% recognized the corruption in the current government.
When asked about the Royal Pardon petition for the former prime minister, 77.3% of the respondents would like the former prime minister to petition for Royal Pardon by himself, while more than half of people or 51.7% were not happy with the people’s movement for a Royal Pardon petition.
-- NNT 2009-08-02
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Puea Thai Party: People want Thaksin back
The opposition Puea Thai party believed many people who signed the petition asking for a royal pardon for former prime minister Thaksin wanted the ousted premier to return to help the country.
Puea Thai MP for Samut Prakarn Pracha Prasopdee said on Sunday that the current government could not solve many problems of the people. "People want Thaksin back to help improve their well-being, which the government could not achieve," he said.
There will also be a big surprise soon that could make Thai people unite, he said.
Continued here:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/15...nt-thaksin-back
-- Bangkok Post 2009-08-02
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If you thought the last "big surprise" of Thaksin acting as a karoke tenor was spectacular... more "big surprises" are apparently on the way.
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Government to verify signatures for Thaksin-pardon petition: PM
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Sunday that the government will verify the signatures attached to the red-shirt movement's petition to seek a Royal Pardon for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Abhisit said when the red-shirt movement submits the petition to the Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary, the office will seek an opinion of the government.
The government will verify the signatures to see whether they lists are not forged and the signatories really want to petition His Majesty for Thaksin's pardon, Abhisit said.
He said if there are irregularities, the ones who submit the lists must be held responsible.
The prime minister did not say how the government would verify the some 4 million names as the red-shirt movement had earlier announced it gathered over 4 million signatures.
-- The Nation 2009-08-02
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Special Report: Facts about Royal Pardon
The anti-government United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship’s (UDD) campaign for a Royal Pardon for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has caused concerns for the Thai government and the general public. The government has responded to the UDD’s campaign by proactively informing the public of regulations and procedures of a Royal Pardon.
Earlier this week, the Faculties of Law and Political Science of Chulalongkorn University arranged a debate to clarify laws and regulations on the petitioning of a Royal Pardon.
The debate was attended by academics and highly-respected figures from various occupations. Secretary-General to the Education Council, Associate Professor Thongthong Chantharangsu, said during the debate that there were 2 types of civil petitions submitted to His Majesty the King - the petitions for a Royal Pardon and the complaint petitions.
Civil petitions have bound Thai Kings and their subjects since the Sukhothai era. However, the academic said a Royal Pardon could not overrule a court’s verdict.
The professor further explained that those who petitioned for a Royal Pardon must do good deeds for the country in the past or currently suffer from illnesses or hardships.
The Department of Corrections will gather all petitions of prisoners and submit them to the Ministry of Justice for consideration and comment.
The ministry will then submit the petitions to His Majesty the King who will decide whether to grant a Royal Pardon. The Bureau of the Royal Household will return all petitions to the ministry each time a new justice minister is appointed for the re-evaluation of the petitions.
Apart from a Royal Pardon for a criminal, people who receive disciplinary and civil punishments can also petition for a Royal Pardon. But a Royal Pardon does not take place easily as His Majesty the King is a constitutional monarch who has limited powers.
Assoc Prof Thongthong remarked that political problems must be solved by political methods, not by the monarch’s powers. He urged those seeking a Royal Pardon to exercise their discretion and try to leave the monarchy out of their problems.
He also encouraged all Thai people to take the matter seriously into consideration as it might lead to other problems in Thai society.
-- NNT 2009-08-01
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PM: Thaksin pardon 'inappropriate'
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, commenting on the petition seeking a Royal Pardon for deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, said the high institution should not get involved with political disputes.
During his weekly television programme on Sunday morning, Mr Abhisit said the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) should stop gathering signatures to request a Royal Pardon for convicted former premier Thaksin, as the process did not meet the criteria and it was inappropriate to involve the monarchy in politics.
"The royal pardon could only be sought by the convicted or one's family members and the individual must serve an imprisonment sentence first. In this case, it looks like the objective is to oppose the court's verdict and I see this as a political issue," the prime minister said. The government had tried to explain this to the general public to prevent them from being misled, he said.
Continued here:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/1508...n-inappropriate
-- Bangkok Post 2009-08-02
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UDD ignoring calls to back off
PUSH TO STOP ROYAL PARDON PETITION
Ignoring growing protests against its push for a Royal Pardon for convicted criminal Thaksin Shinawatra, the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) plans to forward its petition to the palace by August 12.
The group ended its signature-gathering campaign in the early hours of yesterday and claims its petition has the support of 5.4 million people. UDD leaders said the name-list is now undergoing accuracy checks and would be submitted to His Majesty the King by August 12.
It is expected the list will be submitted through the Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary.
Continued here:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/2132...lls-to-back-off
-- Bangkok Post 2009-08-02
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Police foresee progress in Sondhi case
After a meeting with the prime minister, top investigators in the Sondhi shooting case expressed optimism yesterday that the probe would make headway.
Deputy national police chief General Thanee Somboonsap and assistant police chief Lt-General Assawin Kwanmuang expressed their optimism after briefing Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva about the investigation into the attempted killing of media magnate Sondhi Limthongkul.
The senior officers met the prime minister at Government House for almost an hour.
Assawin told reporters afterwards that the police investigation was still continuing and that investigators were collecting evidence surrounding the attempted murder of Sondhi, which took place on April 17.
"There is no dead end yet. We are making progress. Please give us some more time," Assawin said.
He said the prime minister had asked him whether the investigation would make further progress and he had replied that it could.
When asked if more progress would be made now that the national police chief, General Patcharawat Wongsuwan, was on leave for an overseas trip, Assawin said the investigators would do their job whether the police chief was in Thailand or not.
However, he declined to say whether police would issue more arrest warrants as they had to seek approval from the court.
The prime minister said he had met with Thanee and Assawin to discuss the investigation of the Sondhi case and that they had told him that they had met with no difficulty. Abhisit said he had ordered the officers to find the culprits because the public was "watching and criticising.
Comments by the senior policemen came after the national police chief decided to take 10 days' leave for a mission overseas and possibly extend it by another 30 days.
The police investigators, led by Thanee, have complained that investigation of the case has run into difficulties as information has been leaked by unnamed senior police officers. Some critics pointed the finger at the police chief.
Arrest warrants were earlier issued for two non-commissioned officers for alleged involvement in the attempt on Sondhi's life. The two suspects still at large are identified as Pol Corporal Worawut Mungsanthi of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau and Sgt-Major 1st Class Panya Srihaera of the Army's Special Warfare Command in Lop Buri.
-- The Nation 2009-08-02
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Rectors of 26 universities sign name against Thaksin petition
Rectors of all 26 state universities have signed their name to express opposition to the red-shirt movement campaign to gather signatures to petition His Majesty for a pardon for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
The stand of the rectors was announced Friday by Prof Doctor Phirom Kamolratanakul, Rector of Chulalongkorn University who chairs the assembly of university rectors.
Phirom said the rectors saw that the universities should provide correct guidance and a way-out for the society to try to end the on-going divisiveness.
He said the rectors did not take side but they based their decision on academic decision.
He said the rectors would submit a letter to the Office of His Majesty Principal Private Secretary, asking it not to forward the petition of the red-shirt movement to His Majesty.
-- The Nation 2009-08-01
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Hello, Santa Claus will go to Thailand in the next 6 months too. This is another load of manure from a Thaksin supporter that might be paid for his loyalty.
Kwanchai receiving his fees from a disinterested Thaksin via Samak...
He was an actual paid member of Samak's official government at the time he led a bleeding carnage attack... who quit in order to take to his violence full-time... Kwanchai and Thaksin
Udon Thani group Leader resigns from government post, promises to pursue PAD to fullestLeader of the Udon Thani Enthusiasts group Kwanchai Phraipana has declared his resignation from his government post as an employee of the Office of the Secretary-General of the Prime Minister.
Kwanchai received the position 2 months ago from a Cabinet decision, but stated today that he will resign from the post so that his activity with the Udon Thani Enthusiasts will not affect his job.
Kwanchai's resignation follows his receiving of charges from police based on a violent clash between his group and the People's Alliance for Democracy. He said that his resignation will allow him to fully pursue the PAD and deal with them on equal terms. Kwanchai was one of 12 employees of the Office.
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What a great name, 'Udon Thani Loving Club'
Kwanchai and their actions are definitely not great...
On July 24, 2008, in the most serious incident to date, police stood by while pro-government thugs beat and critically injured at least 13 PAD supporters and destroyed public property at a rally in Udon Thani province."Thai authorities have failed to protect their citizens' basic right to peaceful assembly," said Elaine Pearson, Deputy Asia Director at Human Rights Watch.
"By allowing pro-government thugs free rein to unleash violence, the authorities are putting Thailand's fragile democracy at risk. Officials should investigate these attacks and hold to account those responsible for the violence, as well as any officials who failed to stop it."
On July 24, Kwanchai Praipana and Uthai Saenkaew, the younger brother of Deputy Agriculture Minister Theerachai Saenkaew, led some 1,000 members of the pro-government Khon Rak Udorn Club to forcibly break up a peaceful rally of about 200 PAD supporters at Nong Prajak public park in Muang district, Udon Thani province. Local radio station FM 97.5 reportedly urged pro-government supporters to carry out violence against the rally. Pro-government supporters were armed with swords, axes, knives, iron clubs, wooden clubs, and slingshots.
News footage and eyewitness accounts show that local authorities made no effort to stop the violence. Some 500 police and district defense volunteers at the rally did not try to perform their duties even when thugs beat PAD supporters nearly to death right in front of them. And they made no attempt to arrest those who destroyed property at the rally.
Former Prime Minister Somchai Charged With Criminal Misconduct
in Thailand News
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Police Chief postpones defending NCCC allegations
BANGKOK, 3 August 2009 (NNT) – The National Police Chief postponed defending allegations in relations to the rally dispersal on October 7, last year.
A member of the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC), Mr. Wicha Mahakhun, who was responsible in the investigation on rally dispersal on 7 October 2008, said that the National Police Chief Police General Patcharavat Wongsuwan, who was required to defend allegations against him on 3 August had asked for a postponement.
The NCCC therefore scheduled 5 August for him to defend the allegations.
Mr. Wicha said that the law did not require the National Police Chief to stop working, if he was convicted, unlike politicians. However the superior of the police chief had to consider whether to dismiss him or not.
Previously, one of NCCC members, Mr. Wichai Wiwitsewee, who was also responsible for the case, said that he would try to bring the case to the NCCC meeting for consideration in the middle of August. If the Police General Patcharavat was considered guilty both in terms of disciplinary and criminal charges, the NCCC would send report, document, and opinion to his superior and the Attorney-General Office in order to have disciplinary action taken within 30 days and criminal prosecution later.
-- NNT 2009-08-03