Thaksin And His Wife Issued Arrest Warrants Over Ratchadapisek Land Case

[dogleg]

the cooperation of British, Chinese, and US authorities

i think they have somehow confused frankie with kim jong il.....

The "Frank" (Sinatra) moniker is true then? - Fantastic.

I agree with the above posters - the idea must be to keep him and the clan out of Thailand and away from any regional friends.

[soundman]

Its as simple as this. He will wait for the next election. If the next elected govt. is perceived by him as "friendly" he will come back to Thailand to sort things out & reclaim what he considres to be his. If the next elected govt. is "hostile" towards him he will remain in exile......

Soundman.

[Payboy]

Its as simple as this. He will wait for the next election. If the next elected govt. is perceived by him as "friendly" he will come back to Thailand to sort things out & reclaim what he considres to be his. If the next elected govt. is "hostile" towards him he will remain in exile......

Soundman.

you are right there...though there's a figure of speech of sorts somewhere in the term " next elected government"

Edited August 14, 2007 by Payboy

[Gonzo the Face]

Wouldnt it be great if someone made a citizens arrest when he was in the directors box at Manchester City!

:D :D classic!!!

HOW MUCH IS THE REWARD????

.... cant wait to see the wanted poster, and is it Dead or Alive ???...

Somebody call "The Dog"

Taksin right up there with Jesse, Frank, the Younger Bros. and all the rest.

[sriracha john]

Whether these specific charges are true or not, one statement is:

Saam nahm naa

Indeed.... he started it all himself...

Mission Impossible through the months on Thaivisa....

Thaksin Resigns as Prime Minister

Time to recharge the batteries now that mission #1 has been accomplished.

("Mission Impossible" was what many people thought)

Thai court rejects April elections

Constitutional court calls for new parliamentary poll

Another month... another mission accomplished.... #2 and counting....

Thaksin Resigns As Thai Rak Thai Leader

Mission Accomplished #3

Thai Rak Thai Party Dissolved

Mission Accomplished #4

Thaksin Banned From Politics For Five Years

Mission Accomplished #5

Arrest Warrants Issued For Former PM Thaksin And His Wife

Mission Accomplished #6

[hammered]

Whether these specific charges are true or not, one statement is:

Saam nahm naa

Indeed.... he started it all himself...

Mission Impossible through the months on Thaivisa....

Thaksin Resigns as Prime Minister

Time to recharge the batteries now that mission #1 has been accomplished.

("Mission Impossible" was what many people thought)

Thai court rejects April elections

Constitutional court calls for new parliamentary poll

Another month... another mission accomplished.... #2 and counting....

Thaksin Resigns As Thai Rak Thai Leader

Mission Accomplished #3

Thai Rak Thai Party Dissolved

Mission Accomplished #4

Thaksin Banned From Politics For Five Years

Mission Accomplished #5

Arrest Warrants Issued For Former PM Thaksin And His Wife

Mission Accomplished #6

SRJ the big test though is the next election. All these become irrelevent if his supporters are voted back in. Does anyone have a clue how elections are actually going to go. I would think right now nobody does although ISOC may be able to make an educated guess.

[bdenner]

this is where the Brit's headache starts; they don't want him there, they don't want to have make a call as to continued exile in the UK. If they are asked to extradite him, they won't. This will sour relations. The Brits are in a no-win situation on account of his presence.......

I don't think it will be a problem for the UK and Thai Governments - the reality must be that THE THAI GOVT DO NOT WANT him back in Thailand where he could, and would I am sure, become a rallying point for his substantial following. The fact that he may be corruptable is a bonus in they eyes of many voters in a country where corruption and bribary is almost a way of life. I am not being critical here it is just how it has been for many years.

What better way to ensure that he stays out of the picture by making sure that he is too scared to return to Thailand for fear of arrest and leaving him rot in the uk and run his football team

I agree, well said.

The Thai judicial system can't be attuned to reality. (Edit: Yes the Law is the Law but some common sense should be shown here). Whilst in exile and obscure relative peace remains. What happens if he is bought back to Thailand forcibly? Under the present situation it would be a recipe for upheaval.

Edited August 14, 2007 by bdenner

[jimbeam1]

Bless his little cotton socks

jb1

[sibeymai]

I expect Thaksin may well assume control of the next elected government through nominees or proxies. Then, when he is satisfied he is immune to arrest he will return to Thailand to an orchestrated hero's welcome, then drag out the court cases long enough for evidence to be misplaced, witnesses to loose their memory or fail to testify, then do the same through the appeals process. Eventually Thaksin will be awarded billions of baht in compensation.

[thaiwitchhunt]

3 way swap in the making!

First a swap between UK and Russia, Thaksin And His Wife for the KGB guy. Then Thailand swaps with Russia 1 thousand tons of chicken for Thaksin And His Wife.

Win Win Win

TWH

Edited August 14, 2007 by thaiwitchhunt

[soundman]

I expect Thaksin may well assume control of the next elected government through nominees or proxies. Then, when he is satisfied he is immune to arrest he will return to Thailand to an orchestrated hero's welcome, then drag out the court cases long enough for evidence to be misplaced, witnesses to loose their memory or fail to testify, then do the same through the appeals process. Eventually Thaksin will be awarded billions of baht in compensation.

He will keep it in the courts through appeals, no shows, sickness etc until the statute of limitations has expired & then demand compenstion with interest.

[lockheed1011]

A small contribution to the Thai authorities - the UK extradition procedures:

http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/operationa...o/extrad-part-2

<H1 id=sectionTitle minmax_bound="true">Operational Policing </H1><H2 minmax_bound="true">Extradition Act 2003- Part 2</H2>This page covers extradition relations with category 2 territories governed by Part 2 of the 2003 Act.

The main elements of Part 2 of the Extradition Act 2003 are:

• <LI minmax_bound="true">removal of the duplicated and overlapping roles of the courts and ministers found in the 1989 Act<LI minmax_bound="true">a streamlined appeals procedure
  
• a reduced role for the Secretary of State and removal of his broad discretion
  

Extradition from the United Kingdom requires decisions by both the Secretary of State and the courts.

The overall time taken to complete a case can vary considerably depending, for instance, on its complexity. Independence of the judiciary means that the Secretary of State has no influence over the time a case takes to clear the judicial stages

<H3 minmax_bound="true">Territories under Part 2</H3>Territories designated under Part 2 are either members of the European Convention on Extradition; the London Scheme for Extradition within the Commonwealth; or else they are parties to bilateral extradition treaties with the UK. The countries involved are:

Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cook Islands, Croatia, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Haiti, Iceland, India, Iraq, Israel, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Macedonia (FYR), Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Nauru, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Russian Federation, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, The United States of America, Vanuatu, Western Samoa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

A copy of the Statutory Instrument designating these territories as category 2 territories can be found on the Office of Public Sector Information (new window) website. The relevant SI is 2003 No. 3334.

<H3 minmax_bound="true">Extradition Requests</H3>Under Part 2 of the 2003 Act, requests to the United Kingdom should be made to the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State then issues a certificate and sends the papers to the court. The court then issues a warrant for the requested person’s arrest.

The documentation can only be certified if the requirements of section 70 of the 2003 Act are met. In cases where the requested person has been convicted, the documentation must also include a statement that the person is 'unlawfully at large', i.e. has been convicted and is liable to immediate arrest and detention.

Requesting states are advised to submit a draft request to the Crown Prosecution Service (new window) to ensure potential difficulties are resolved before the request is finally submitted.

<H3 minmax_bound="true">Documentation required</H3>Generally the information required to accompany the request will include:

1. 
   <LI minmax_bound="true">particulars of the person whose return is requested<LI minmax_bound="true">particulars of the offence of which he is accused or was convicted<LI minmax_bound="true">in the case of a person accused of an offence, a warrant or a duly authenticated copy of a warrant for his arrest issued in the requesting state, or for a provisional arrest, details of such a warrant<LI minmax_bound="true">in the case of a person unlawfully at large after conviction of an offence, a certificate or a duly authenticated copy of a certificate of the conviction and the sentence, or for provisional arrest, details of the conviction
   
2. evidence or information that would justify the issue of a warrant for arrest in the UK, within the jurisdiction of a judge of the court that would hold the extradition hearing
   

<H3 minmax_bound="true">Evidence required</H3>Some countries are not required to provide prima facie evidence in support of their request for extradition. These countries are (as of 1 January 2007):

Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan,Canada, Croatia, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Liechtenstein, Macedonia FYR, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, Norway, Russian Federation, Serbia, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and the United States of America.

<H4 minmax_bound="true">Preliminary Hearing</H4>After the person has been arrested, he is brought before the court as soon as is practicable and the judge sets a date for the extradition hearing.

<H3 minmax_bound="true">Extradition Hearing</H3>The judge must satisfy himself that the request meets the requirements of the 2003 Act, including dual criminality and where appropriate, prima facie evidence of guilt; and that none of the bars to extradition apply (the rule against double jeopardy; extraneous considerations; passage of time or hostage-taking considerations).

Finally, he is required to decide whether the person’s extradition would be compatible with the convention rights within the meaning of the Human Rights Act 1998.

If he decides all of these questions in the affirmative, he must send the case to the Secretary of State for the latter’s decision whether the person is to be extradited. Otherwise, he must discharge the person.

<H3 minmax_bound="true">Secretary of State</H3>Where a case is sent to him, the Secretary of State must consider whether surrender is prohibited because:

1. 
   <LI minmax_bound="true">The person could face the death penalty: This is an absolute prohibition unless the Secretary of State receives an adequate written assurance from the requesting state that the death penalty will not be imposed, or will not be carried out, if imposed<LI minmax_bound="true">there are no speciality arrangements with the requesting country: The condition of “speciality” requires that the person must be dealt with in the requesting state only for the offences in respect of which the person is extradited (except in certain limited circumstances)
   
2. the person was earlier extradited to the UK: This might require the Secretary of State to obtain the consent of the earlier extraditing country, before the person can be extradited on to the requesting state.
   

In this event, the defence has to make any representations within six weeks of the case being sent to the Secretary of State (42 days, including the day the case was sent). The Secretary of State has to make his own decision within two calendar months of the day the case is sent to him, or else the person may apply to be discharged.

However, if the representations are complex and require enquiries being made of the requesting state, the Secretary of State may apply to the High Court for an extension of the decision date, of any length but usually of no more than two moths – it is a matter for the court as to whether and for how long this is granted, although it has not to date refused any such application. More than one extension may be sought in any one case; and granted if it appears necessary.

If the Secretary of State does find that surrender is prohibited, he must order the discharge of the person. If none of the three prohibitions apply, or appropriate assurances have been given, the Secretary of State must order the person to be extradited.

<H3 minmax_bound="true">Appeals</H3><H4 minmax_bound="true">High Court</H4>A requested person may appeal within 14 days to the High Court if:

1. 
   <LI minmax_bound="true">the district judge sends the case to the Secretary of State
   
2. the Secretary of State orders his extradition
   

A requesting state may appeal within 14 days to the High Court against the discharge of the requested person by:

1. 
   <LI minmax_bound="true">the judge at the extradition hearing
   
2. the Secretary of State (after the case has been sent to him by the District Judge).
   

<H4 minmax_bound="true">House of Lords</H4>A decision of the High Court in an extradition case may be appealed against in the House of Lords by either a requested person (or if a person is discharged by the High Court, by a requesting state) provided that leave to appeal has been granted.

An appeal to the House of Lords can only be made on a point of law of general public importance and where it is agreed by the High Court that the point is one which should be considered by the House of Lords. Section 114 of the 2003 Act sets out the details and time limits for such an appeal.

<H3 minmax_bound="true">Surrender</H3>Unless there is an appeal the person whose extradition has been ordered should be extradited within 28 days of the Secretary of State making his decision. Where there is an appeals process, the 28 days will begin once all the legal remedies have been exhausted.

If there are exceptional circumstances, this time limit can be extended, although if the person applies to the District judge for discharge, reasonable cause must be shown for the delay.

For more information, contact [email protected]

[maipleur]

I realize he was corrupt, I realize he has to be accountable, but this is just a witch hunt..

If he returns to Thailand this man is in serious trouble. He did not get on with the army and many of the corrupt politcians. He wanted to keep it all to himself.

This is payback time and I fear for his safety..

Whether you like it or not, the country was in much better shape when he was in power and he implemented many revenue raisers for this country.... He implemented a tax structure that was never in place before - but he didnt pay his own share!, as he had the "right friends" at the time...

It happens every day in business across the globe and because it wasnt shared amongst the other corrupt policticians and the Junta, he will hunted down his whole life..

Run Thaksin Run!

[highdiver]

the legal implications of this Arrest Warrants are very severe for him as a lockheed1011 posted.

thailand can now demand his extradition.

in most countries it will be a imidiate arrest or a house arrest pending the rulling of the extradition process.

undoubtaly he is in for a rough ride.

[Mid]

the legal implications of this Arrest Warrants are very severe for him as a lockheed1011 posted.

thailand can now demand his extradition.

in most countries it will be a imidiate arrest or a house arrest pending the rulling of the extradition process.

undoubtaly he is in for a rough ride.

doubt that any more than lip service will be paid to an extradition request by a junta who seized power at the point of a gun , fired or not .

[highdiver]

the legal implications of this Arrest Warrants are very severe for him as a lockheed1011 posted.

thailand can now demand his extradition.

in most countries it will be a imidiate arrest or a house arrest pending the rulling of the extradition process.

undoubtaly he is in for a rough ride.

doubt that any more than lip service will be paid to an extradition request by a junta who seized power at the point of a gun , fired or not .

i can belive i am saying this.

wait here it comes......

I agree with you..... there I said it.

however that will keep him busy for a while.

[nikster]

Democratically elected leader, ousted by illegal military junta, junta demands extradition. Yeah right. That's as likely as the U.K. extraditing him to North Korea. Ain't gonna happen.

If the next democratically elected gov't brings charges against him - OK, then he's in trouble. As it is, this move will just embarrass the military when the U.K. says no.

Meanwhile Taksin has just bought himself a place on prime time TV and in the hearts of all Thais for years to come for the low, low price of £86m - priceless. He may be corrupt and ruthless but stupid he's certainly not.

[hammered]

I realize he was corrupt, I realize he has to be accountable, but this is just a witch hunt..

If he returns to Thailand this man is in serious trouble. He did not get on with the army and many of the corrupt politcians. He wanted to keep it all to himself.

This is payback time and I fear for his safety..

Whether you like it or not, the country was in much better shape when he was in power and he implemented many revenue raisers for this country.... He implemented a tax structure that was never in place before - but he didnt pay his own share!, as he had the "right friends" at the time...

It happens every day in business across the globe and because it wasnt shared amongst the other corrupt policticians and the Junta, he will hunted down his whole life..

Run Thaksin Run!

There may be the families of a few thousand dead people albeit poor ones that do not count that did not get even the access to court time he gets now who may disagree with you, but who am I to say that a bunch of dead poor people should get in the way of someone overseeing some economic growth that we should praise while quietly turning a blind eye to some ezxtra-judicial excesses.

Edited August 14, 2007 by hammered

[Plus]

In today's Nation there's an article from some British newspaper - apparently the row between Russia and the UK over KGB killer is far from over, the relationships are frozen and the next step will be some sort of Russian retaliation.

The matter is fairly simple - Russia doesn't have an extradition treaty and it's against its constitution to send its citizens for trial in other countries. It's a dead end.

Yet when Gordon Brown took over Dawning Street office he dug in his heels, sent some Russian dimplomats packing, and now there's no place for him to retreat. If he refuses Thaksin's extradition it will make his position a lot weaker - he doesn't need another big name on the list of people Britain has refused to extradite if he wants to talk to Russians.

There's one Russian tycoon, one Chechen terrorist, Pinochet, and now Thaksin - Russians will simply tell Gordon Brown to shove his request where sun doesn't shine and be very smug about it, and Gordon Brown will lose a lot of face.

It would be in UK's interests to sacrifice Thaksin now and at least appear reasonable. Right now their uncompromising position doesn't serve their image any good.

>>>>>>>>>>>>

As for junta picking Ratchada case to nail Thaksin - there are no grounds for this argument whatsoever. August 14 was set as a date months ago. Lots of other cases progressed as well but so far it's the only one with Thaksin's personal signature, the rest are against his nominees - kids and relatives, and they duly appeared before AEC and promised to appear before courts, too.

Things are progressing slowly but steadily. It appears Thaksin didn't believe it will get this far, but it has.

[RKASA]

Just fuel on the fire before the ref. vote. One big problem if he stays in UK and they want him back they have to go to court there with a case and not appair to be a poltic pay back. They don't have a case that works outside a Military controlled Courthouse. They will look like fools. If he goes to visit China they China will turn him over to make points with this gov. China loves a good old fash. dic. and could careless about due process. Making points with Thailand is why China gave Thai military 44million US dollars a few months ago. I think Mr. T is not going anywhere for awhile.

PS its up to the court in UK and not the gov. the court will follow due process no matter who it is. Right is right and your not going to buy any courts in the UK.

Edited August 14, 2007 by RKASA

[sibeymai]

The Supreme Court in Thailand is not part of the military junta or the government. Excuse me for not being certain but I believe that the same judges are there now as were there before the coup. Therefore the UK government is not justified in denying extradition because of the junta as it is neither the junta or the Thai government seeking his extradition but the court. Thailand can make some good ground in their extradition attempt along this line although just because the junta reason is not justified it won't stop the UK government from using it as an excuse not to extradite. The UK may be forced to make a compromise and place Thaksin under "house arrest" until after the elections. If the upcoming elected government were to request extradition as well and the UK has let Thaksin fly the coop they'll look pretty stupid.

[marcortez]

If the baht falls and the river rises.......who really cares?

[sibeymai]

If the baht falls and the river rises.......who really cares?

Please excuse us for posting...we're just trying to add some interest to our boring and mundane lives.

[Tony Clifton]

Whether these specific charges are true or not, one statement is:

Saam nahm naa

Indeed.... he started it all himself...

Mission Impossible through the months on Thaivisa....

Thaksin Resigns as Prime Minister

Time to recharge the batteries now that mission #1 has been accomplished.

("Mission Impossible" was what many people thought)

Thai court rejects April elections

Constitutional court calls for new parliamentary poll

Another month... another mission accomplished.... #2 and counting....

Thaksin Resigns As Thai Rak Thai Leader

Mission Accomplished #3

Thai Rak Thai Party Dissolved

Mission Accomplished #4

Thaksin Banned From Politics For Five Years

Mission Accomplished #5

Arrest Warrants Issued For Former PM Thaksin And His Wife

Mission Accomplished #6

SRJ the big test though is the next election. All these become irrelevent if his supporters are voted back in. Does anyone have a clue how elections are actually going to go. I would think right now nobody does although ISOC may be able to make an educated guess.

The TRT mentality has always been to cheat, lie, steal on an industrial level. Sort of a political mafia gang who truly thought they had it made forever, so confident, but look at the outcome of the last elections, they ended up banned and dissolved. Most of them are in it to save the master's testicles at any price and collect the rewards later on or repaying old debts.

Nothing will change with the "new TRT" and the next elections, it's the same old cheating party.

Watch them crash and get humiliated once again.

As for their extradition, the whole story has been full of surprises, usually not in Thaksin's favour. I wouldn't fly around too much, the plane could have to make an emergency landing somewhere where he's not welcome.

Edited August 14, 2007 by Tony Clifton

[deminister]

Who cares? It is after all a kangaroo court. If the courts were serious about corruption, they would have arrested Sanoh immediately upon giving his interview in which he openly admitted paying senators for over twenty years in order to secure their votes.

Or they would have arrested and jailed the commanders in chief of Napoleon's army in Thailand for purchasing bullet free or not so free vests for many times the price. We live in a country where you may only vote yes. A country where the military are robbing the country from its trees (just before the properties are handed over to highly regarded people); a country where coup takers have taken out billions of baht for secret funds (check their bankaccounts, oh I forgot they are not obliged to state their wealth before and after they raped the democracy) and a country in which the people who claim to work for the country receive expense accounts of 891,000 Baht per month. Who takes a court serious which is appointed by the military? Who take a parliament serious that is democratically appointed with rubberstampers?

60% will vote and 70% will say yes to Hitler's constitution, in which senators are appointed and Rayong has as many votes as Bangkok. A constitution which bans free speech and tramples on human rights. Wonder what they do with all those high police and army people who pulled the trigger in the war of drugs. It is probably a case of BEFEHL IST BEFEHL, and ICH HABE ES NICHT GEWUST!

[Plus]

Thais are in no hurry, there's no reason for them to bring Thaksin back now, they can prepare their case in all details.

There's damning evidence - Thaksin's own signature authorising his wife to buy land from a government institution, he won't argue the details - so far he simply refused to recognise the court. It might backfire and bring him more charges like contempt of courts. By the time new government is in place he'll have half a dozen charges that even post-eleciton courts won't be able to clear, if he ever gets a leverage with courts again, which is unlikely in the short to medium term, even with his friends back in the government.

[RKASA]

this is where the Brit's headache starts; they don't want him there, they don't want to have make a call as to continued exile in the UK. If they are asked to extradite him, they won't. This will sour relations. The Brits are in a no-win situation on account of his presence.......

I don't think it will be a problem for the UK and Thai Governments - the reality must be that THE THAI GOVT DO NOT WANT him back in Thailand where he could, and would I am sure, become a rallying point for his substantial following. The fact that he may be corruptable is a bonus in they eyes of many voters in a country where corruption and bribary is almost a way of life. I am not being critical here it is just how it has been for many years.

What better way to ensure that he stays out of the picture by making sure that he is too scared to return to Thailand for fear of arrest and leaving him rot in the uk and run his football team

Yaeh thats more like it. They can't make a case in UK court that would hold any water anyway, and they get the bonus of make Mr. T out to be evil here in the local papers.

[lost_in_space]

Extradition will never happen. What does the UK have to gain by giving in to a pipsqueek military dictatorship (or the govt. they allow to be elected)?

What would they have to lose? A lot. I'm a Yank, but I think precedence has a lot to do with English common law. The extradition of Thaksin would be a bad precedent in the long-term. The Brits have a distinguished history of taking in more controversial figures. I suspect this is a tempest in a teapot for them.

[Plus]

Of course the Uk is unlikely to extradite Thaksin anytime soon, but it will make a hel_l of a mess out of his Man City chairmanship. At one point he'll be legally prohibited from sitting on the board. Will he still keep on bankrolling it?

It will be interesting to see how it turns out. By Christmas break he could be already out.

[Mid]

Sugary profile of Thaksin in exile riles Thailand's junta

By Seth Mydans Published: August 14, 2007

BANGKOK: "Thaksin, Where Are You?"

snip

The court said it would consider extradition proceedings if they do not appear by Sept. 25, but experts said any such proceedings would be long and complicated.

snip

iht.com

slow motion train wreck , compelling .......................