U.S. Businessman Sues Thai Prime Minister

U.S. Businessman Sues Thai Prime Minister

BANGKOK, Thailand — An American businessman filed a lawsuit on Thursday charging Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra for committing perjury during a previous court hearing.

William L. Monson filed criminal charges at the South Bangkok Criminal Court, involving a business deal that dates back to the late 1980s.

Monson claims Thaksin _ who was then starting to build his telecommunications empire _ violated an agreement to jointly operate a cable television enterprise, seized transmission equipment from him and levied false criminal charges against Monson, his company and his staff.

Both parties have filed several lawsuits against each other in Thailand and the United States, one of which spawned the pending trial.

Monson claims that Thaksin lied to a civil court during a previous court hearing by calling Monson an employee and by alleging that Monson's company had stolen some equipment from their business deal.

Monson, owner of the successful, Seattle-based Clearview Cable TV company, said he was "a joint venture partner and managing director of the joint venture," and that he had purchased the equipment.

The court has set a preliminary hearing for the case on Sept. 11.

Monson has already filed another separate lawsuit at the Criminal Court over the deal, and a trial over that suit is expected to begin on Sept. 18.

Source: Associated Press - 21 July 2006