Abhisit, Suthep postpone their grilling session
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Opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva and fellow Democrat party member Suthep Thaugsuban have asked to postpone their meeting with police investigators who were to question them about the deaths of red-shirt protesters last year, sources said.
Democrat spokesman Chavanont Intarakomalsut said Abhisit had only the night before received a letter summoning him for an interrogation session yesterday.
Abhisit asked the police to give him two weeks before the questioning, the party spokesman said.
Chavanont said that both Abhisit and Suthep were busy people and needed time to prepare for the questioning. He also said the police should deal with the cases independently, free of any political pressure from the government.
Before leaving for Sukhothai yesterday, Abhisit said he had yet to read the letter he received from the Metropolitan Police Bureau.
During the red-shirt anti-government protests, which later turned into riots, Abhisit was prime minister and Suthep the deputy prime minister put in charge of the Centre for Resolution of the Emergency Situation. After the riots were quelled, both the red shirts and the leaders’ political enemies blamed them for the deaths.
Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Maj-General Anuchai Lekbamrung, who is leading an investigation into 16 deaths, said yesterday that the letter had been sent to both Abhisit and Suthep on Monday. He added that he would set a new date for the interrogation, which should be completed by December 17.
“Further postponement will not be allowed. I believe the two people will cooperate with the police. This postponement is necessary because of their busy schedules,” Anuchai said.
