Abhisit, Suthep Not Detained: Murder Charge

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POLITICS

Abhisit, Suthep not detained

Piyanut Tumnukasetchai,

Atapoom Ongkulna

The Nation

Democrat Party supporters appear in a show of moral support for Abhisit and Suthep at the party headquarters

Democrat leaders charged with murder by DSI

BANGKOK: -- Former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his deputy Suthep Thaugsuban were allowed to go home after acknowledging murder charges at the Department of Special Investigation yesterda.There were no clashes between their supporters and the red shirts.

Besides the murder charge involving the fatal shooting of a taxi driver during the red-shirt protest in May 2010, the DSI later informed them of charges of violating the Political Party Act in regard to flood donations during the term of the Democrat-led government.

If convicted, the person could be banned from politics for five years besides facing imprisonment, said Tarit Pengdith, director-general of the DSI.

A picture of Abhisit providing his fingerprints, dubbed "a historic picture", spread on the Internet yesterday evening. That prompted him to call Tarit and blame him for leaking the photo as a violation of his rights. Tarit then ordered an investigation into the matter.

The Democrats had also copied the DSI's investigation report and how the agency had appointed its investigators. They questioned why the DSI only filed murder charges against the two but not charges of dereliction of duty.

When Abhisit and Suthep arrived at DSI headquarters in the afternoon, along with the party's legal team and some Democrat MPs such as Chuan Leekpai, Thaworn Senneam, Siriwan Prasajaksatru and Sirichok Sopha, Tarit was waiting to receive them.

About 400 police were also standing guard as a group of red shirts led by Phayao Akkahad, who lost her daughter Kamolkade during the political turmoil, booed at the Democrats. Phayao's daughter had been working as a volunteer nurse at Pathum Wannaram Temple.

Some protesters gathered on a pickup truck with a loudspeaker and showed pictures of their loved ones lost in the 2010 violence.

At Democrat Party headquarters, people started gathering early in the morning to offer moral support to Abhisit and Suthep. They held up a poster with the words "Fight Abhisit" and "DSI ordered to accuse Abhisit and Suthep".

Abhisit and Suthep left the DSI after 5.30pm, while the red shirts dispersed at about 4.30pm.

Tarit said the DSI could hold suspects for up to 48 hours, but there was no reason to detain Abhisit and Suthep. It was not a case of double standards, as the red shirts who properly turned themselves in to hear charges and displayed no behaviour arousing suspicions that they would try to flee were not held in custody either, he said.

The DSI said Abhisit as prime minister and Suthep as director of the Centre for Resolution of the Emergency Situation must be held responsible for the death of Phan Khamkong, the taxi driver, who a court said was killed by security troops. The sharpshooter was not identified. However, the DSI will also wait for the court's documents before filing more charges related to another red shirt, Charnnarong Polsrila, whose death the court said was also the result of military officers' conduct, Tarit said.

The DSI had originally summoned Abhisit and Suthep for next Tuesday to hear the charges for the donation cases, but the Democrats said they were ready to hear the charges yesterday, he said.

Suthep's case involved East Water's donation to the government's flood-relief project via a bank account belonging to the Democrats, while Abhisit's case was related to funds donated to the Democrat Party but through a different process than required by law.

For Suthep's case, DSI investigators had consulted with lawyers and agreed that a charge could be laid against the Democrat Party, as it could benefit politically by claiming credit for the project.

For Abhisit's case, a series of donations, each more than Bt20,000, was made via transfers from one bank account to another, which was against the law requiring payment by cheque.

Tarit said the two cases were minor, but they were criminal cases and the person convicted could be barred from politics for five years.

"A few years of imprisonment can be [used as] a political attack. Abhisit's imprisonment will be three years [if convicted]. Thaksin [shinawatra]'s imprisonment is two years. They are the same," Tarit said.

Abhisit told his supporters that he had no intention to hurt the people who staged the demonstrations against his government from 2009-10. It was the duty of him as prime minister and Suthep to maintain law and order since the red-shirt protesters were equipped with military-grade weapons and broke the law.

"We have a clear policy not to subject the lives of people to risk," he told the sympathetic gathering at Democrat Party headquarters.

Those who monitored the political situation and political history closely should know very well that his government exercised utmost restraint and handled the situation with respect for human rights, Abhisit said. This current government has the clear objective to subject him and Suthep to punishment, he said.

"Khun Suthep and I will fight under the legal framework. We do respect the Thai justice system. We won't run away. We aren't cowards and corrupt. We won't take refuge in foreign countries. We won't bargain for our own sake," he said.

"The maximum punishment for this murder charge is execution. If the court hands down such a sentence, we'll accept it to show respect for the justice system. If I have to go to death row, the fugitive who is on the run from a two-year jail term should return home to serve it out," Abhisit said, referring to his political rival Thaksin, who was convicted for abuse of power as prime minister.

-- The Nation 2012-12-14

[tominbkk]

Good job Mark. Nice to see a politician here that accepts rule of law and who doesn't scurry away like a cockroach when faced with a challenge.

[OzMick]

" They are the same," Tarit said.

Unless Tarit can prove that the transfers personally benefited Abhisit, they are most certainly not the same.

BTW - I have transferred up to a million baht between accounts - am I liable for prosecution, or is this only for donations?

BTW2 - I can understand a problem with cash transactions/donations, but what is the cause for concern with electronic transfer? I haven't owned a cheque-book for 20+ years.

[sungod]

Certainaly no expert in Thai law, but they have no idea who actaully fired the fatal shot, but have enough evidence to charge these 2 wirth murder?

Answers on the back of a postcard please

[monkfish]

" They are the same," Tarit said.

Unless Tarit can prove that the transfers personally benefited Abhisit, they are most certainly not the same.

BTW - I have transferred up to a million baht between accounts - am I liable for prosecution, or is this only for donations?

BTW2 - I can understand a problem with cash transactions/donations, but what is the cause for concern with electronic transfer? I haven't owned a cheque-book for 20+ years.

Law is the law I guess and interesting to note Abhisits crime seems more serious carrying a 3 year maximum sentence apposed to Thaksins 2 year for conflict of interest.

[Robby nz]

Seems like this is all the DSI and those who give them orders can find against the former PM and his deputy and I suspect not for the want of trying.

[gl555]

What a big fat joke. DSI is such an impotent and corrupt organization. Puke!

[monkfish]

What a big fat joke. DSI is such an impotent and corrupt organization. Puke!

Yep you are right! Look at the picture!

They show Zero remorse for the civilians who were killed.

Edited December 14, 2012 by monkfish

[Pimay1]

What a big fat joke. DSI is such an impotent and corrupt organization. Puke!

Yep you are right! Look at the picture!

They show Zero remorse for the civilians who were killed.

And of course you do right? And you also show remorse for the soldiers that were killed also right?

[TomTao]

What would PTP and the reds do if the judge(s) judging this case take a look at this case and the evidence provided, and after a period of deliberation declare there is no case to answer and dismiss the charges.

Sent from my GT-I9003

[DocN]

What would PTP and the reds do if the judge(s) judging this case take a look at this case and the evidence provided, and after a period of deliberation declare there is no case to answer and dismiss the charges.

Sent from my GT-I9003

They would probably wonder, how they were caught, sedated and transported out of Thailand without noticing!

[scorecard]

What a big fat joke. DSI is such an impotent and corrupt organization. Puke!

Yep you are right! Look at the picture!

They show Zero remorse for the civilians who were killed.

So are you expecting to see them carrying signs as they walk into the DSI office saying 'I show remorse'?

[scorecard]

What would PTP and the reds do if the judge(s) judging this case take a look at this case and the evidence provided, and after a period of deliberation declare there is no case to answer and dismiss the charges.

Sent from my GT-I9003

They would probably wonder, how they were caught, sedated and transported out of Thailand without noticing!

Another possibility is that gangs of red thugs raid their houses with serious intimidation of the family, and with their address and tel. nos on public websites etc.

[Pimay1]

What would PTP and the reds do if the judge(s) judging this case take a look at this case and the evidence provided, and after a period of deliberation declare there is no case to answer and dismiss the charges.

Sent from my GT-I9003

They would probably wonder, how they were caught, sedated and transported out of Thailand without noticing!

You know DocN I think you are on to something here. I can very well see the red mob doing something like this.

[Pimay1]

What would PTP and the reds do if the judge(s) judging this case take a look at this case and the evidence provided, and after a period of deliberation declare there is no case to answer and dismiss the charges.

Sent from my GT-I9003

They would probably wonder, how they were caught, sedated and transported out of Thailand without noticing!

Another possibility is that gangs of red thugs raid their houses with serious intimidation of the family, and with their address and tel. nos on public websites etc.

And don't forget the splattering of HIV infected blood on their house, gate, ect.

[saltandpepper]

" They are the same," Tarit said.

Unless Tarit can prove that the transfers personally benefited Abhisit, they are most certainly not the same.

BTW - I have transferred up to a million baht between accounts - am I liable for prosecution, or is this only for donations?

BTW2 - I can understand a problem with cash transactions/donations, but what is the cause for concern with electronic transfer? I haven't owned a cheque-book for 20+ years.

Law is the law I guess and interesting to note Abhisits crime seems more serious carrying a 3 year maximum sentence apposed to Thaksins 2 year for conflict of interest.

The differences being that:

Thaksin did commit these crimes, and jumped bail like a sissy

Abhisit did not commit any crime, did not flee abroad, and will accept the outcome

[Siripon]

What a big fat joke. DSI is such an impotent and corrupt organization. Puke!

Yep you are right! Look at the picture!

They show Zero remorse for the civilians who were killed.

How can you show remorse for something you didn't do?

Apisit expressed regret in the recent BBC interview that people died.

[scorecard]

" They are the same," Tarit said.

Unless Tarit can prove that the transfers personally benefited Abhisit, they are most certainly not the same.

BTW - I have transferred up to a million baht between accounts - am I liable for prosecution, or is this only for donations?

BTW2 - I can understand a problem with cash transactions/donations, but what is the cause for concern with electronic transfer? I haven't owned a cheque-book for 20+ years.

Maybe wrong here, but I wonder whether cash donations are illegal because there is no documented money trail?

Whereas donations by cheque can be traced, at least to the person/ entity that issued the cheque.

Surely electronic transfer is the same, there is a money trail, at least to the bank acccount the funds departed from and that account has an owner who can be identified. And a trail to prove the name of the account where the funds were deposited to, and the name of the owner of that account.

Perhaps this is a case where the written law hasn't caught up with the cyber age?

Edited December 14, 2012 by scorecard

[OzMick]

" They are the same," Tarit said.

Unless Tarit can prove that the transfers personally benefited Abhisit, they are most certainly not the same.

BTW - I have transferred up to a million baht between accounts - am I liable for prosecution, or is this only for donations?

BTW2 - I can understand a problem with cash transactions/donations, but what is the cause for concern with electronic transfer? I haven't owned a cheque-book for 20+ years.

Law is the law I guess and interesting to note Abhisits crime seems more serious carrying a 3 year maximum sentence apposed to Thaksins 2 year for conflict of interest.

Shall we make the comparisons a little fairer? Thaksin is convicted and has a 2 year sentence waiting his return. Abhisit has been charged with a 3 year offense and murder, Thaksin has charges pending including terrorism, theft of ~B10 billion, and many more - charges much more likely to succeed when they reach court IMHO.

[OzMick]

What would PTP and the reds do if the judge(s) judging this case take a look at this case and the evidence provided, and after a period of deliberation declare there is no case to answer and dismiss the charges.

Sent from my GT-I9003

My thought is that the DSI has the power to hold them for 48hrs after which they must be released or allowed a bail hearing. If the DSI had held them, they would have to release them and look like wimps, or take them before a judge - which as you point out could end the whole farce.

[MunterHunter]

What would PTP and the reds do if the judge(s) judging this case take a look at this case and the evidence provided, and after a period of deliberation declare there is no case to answer and dismiss the charges.

Sent from my GT-I9003

Publish the Judges home addresses and phone numbers?

[OzMick]

What would PTP and the reds do if the judge(s) judging this case take a look at this case and the evidence provided, and after a period of deliberation declare there is no case to answer and dismiss the charges.

Sent from my GT-I9003

Publish the Judges home addresses and phone numbers?

Isn't k. Korkaew detained at His Majesty's pleasure for this? I hesitate to say they couldn't be that stupid.

[MunterHunter]

Isn't k. Korkaew detained at His Majesty's pleasure for this? I hesitate to say they couldn't be that stupid.

Never under-estimate the stupidity of sheep.