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Aug 2 judgement day for ex-PM Somchai and three co-defendants


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Posted

Aug 2 judgement day for ex-PM Somchai and three co-defendants

By Thai PBS

 

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BANGKOK: -- The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Offices is scheduled to deliver its verdict against former prime minister Somchai Wongsawat and three high-profile defendant over the crackdown of yellow-shirted protesters at the parliament nine years ago on Aug 2.

 

Three other defendants are former deputy prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, former national police chief Patcharawat Wongsuwan and former metropolitan police commissioner Pol Lt-Gen Suchart Muenkaew.

 

The four men were charged by the public prosecutors with misuse of their authority in accordance with Section 157 of the Criminal Code and violation of Anti-Corruption Act B.E. 2542 in connection with the crackdown of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protesters, resulting to two killed and 471 injured.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/aug-2-judgement-day-ex-pm-somchai-three-co-defendants/

 
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-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2017-08-02
 

 

Posted

Judges meet to decide verdict in 2008 crackdown case

By The Nation

 

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BANGKOK: -- A panel of nine judges of the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division on Political Office Holders held a meeting on Wednesday morning ahead of delivering a verdict in a criminal case involving a former prime minister and his deputy and two former high-ranking police officers.

 

They were indicted for malfeasance after being held responsible for the fatal police crackdown on yellow-shirt protesters in 2008.

 

The four defendants in the case are former prime minister Somchai Wongsawat, his then deputy Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, former national police chief General Patcharawat Wongsuwan, and former Metropolitan Police commander Lt-General Suchart Muenkaew.

 

The crackdown left two demonstrators dead and some 470 others injured.

 

All four defendants are awaiting the verdict in the court room. A number of supporters, including Pheu Thai key figures, accompanied Somchai.

 

Each of the nine judges has already given their own verdict but they need a meeting to finalise the verdict, a Supreme Court official said. It is expected that the judges will read the verdict at around 11am. 

 

Somchai, who is the brother-in-law of former PM Thaksin Shina-watra, was the country’s 26th prime minister, serving briefly between September and December 2008. 

 

Throughout his tenure, Somchai never got inside Government House, which had been seized by yellow-shirt protesters. 

At that time, he also served as leader of the People Power Party, which was viewed as Thaksin’s proxy.

 

It took more than six years before a case could be filed with the court. The delay was mainly due to differences of opinion between the National Anti-Corruption Commission and the Attorney General’s Office.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30322532

 
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-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-08-02

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