Fuss Over Viktor Bout Visit Drags On

[webfact]

MERCHANT OF DEATH

Fuss over Bout visit drags on

By The Nation

Democrat MP Sirichoke Sopha's visit to suspected arms trafficker Viktor Bout at the Bangkok Remand Prison in April continues to shadow him.

The visit, revealed by Pheu Thai MP and red-shirt leader Jatuporn Promphan during a parliamentary session a few weeks ago, re-emerged as a hot issue over the weekend after two members of the House committee on foreign affairs met Bout at Bang Kwang Prison.

Both were Pheu Thai MPs.

Following the hours-long visit on Saturday, the House committee's deputy chairwoman Thitima Chaisang said yesterday Bout suspected the Court of Appeals' decision to overturn the lower court's ruling on his extradition case might have something to do with his decision to not call Sirichoke after their meeting on April 15.

The lower court rejected the United States' request for Bout's extradition.

Thitima said Sirichoke told Bout that he was a close aide of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

The House committee's chairman Torpong Chaiyasarn said Sirichoke's attempts to check if Thaksin had links to arms trafficking raised questions about government intentions. Bout has insisted he did not know Thaksin personally and had never done business with him.

Asked whether his visit to Bout partially aimed to help Thaksin, Torpong said, "Personally, I love Thaksin. But in my capacity as chairman of the House committee on foreign affairs, I have an intention to stop something unrighteous and all those allegations."

Asked whether he acted in defence for Thaksin, he said, "This is an appropriate thing to do. Thaksin could not speak to the public to clear his name himself."

Thitima claimed Sirichoke did not strictly abide by Corrections Department regulations in seeking a meeting with Bout on April 15.

"Bout told us that Sirichoke didn't show up alone. He came with an unidentified man," she said, "Who was that man?"

She also questioned why Sirichoke had to give his telephone number to Bout during the visit.

Torpong said his committee would look into the five-page handwritten document from Bout to proceed further with the case.

The Corrections Department has withheld the document for review.

Chatchai Suttiklom said in line with normal regulations, his department would check the content of the letter first.

"We will need to go through every document inmates plan to send out. For example, we cannot approve letters mentioning jail-break plots," he said.

Chatchai said if Bout's letter did not contain anything inappropriate, it would be submitted to the House committee on foreign affairs in two days.

Sirichoke said he was ready to clarify things with the House committee, if summoned.

"I work for public interest," he said.

Democrat MP Ratchada Thanadirek, who also serves as deputy spokeswoman for the House committee on foreign affairs, said some government MPs were not present at the committee's meeting when it voted to arrange a visit to Bout.

"We were attending the parliamentary session at that time. When we returned to the meeting, the vote on visiting Bout had taken place," she said.

Ratchada said she did not think the House committee should take action in this case.

"We should focus on international relationships and public interest. There's no need to step into such a case. Whether Sirichoke's visit to Bout is lawful or not should rest with the justice system. Whether his visit is appropriate or not should be up to the society to decide," she said.

Democrat MP Nathapol Teepsuwan, who sits on the House committee on foreign affairs, said he would take issue with Torpong at the committee's next meeting.

"It seems he has arranged the visit in response to Jatuporn's suggestion," Nathapol said, "I would like to ask Torpong who he is working for."

-- The Nation 2010-09-06

[ToffeEFCpower]

I am that unidentified man lol

[Colabamumbai]

I hope that everyone read yesterdays post "How much does it cost to bribe a judge"

[Jingthing]

This Bout affair has shed light on one of the major flaws in Thai culture. There is a strong cultural tendency here to defer to criminal scoundrels as long as they are very wealthy and successful.

[chantorn]

"Bout told us that Sirichoke didn't show up alone. He came with an unidentified man," she said, "Who was that man?" The Nation

THE MEN IN BLACK. Remember who killed the 90 people in the last raid? Could that man be one of them?