Court to decide Monday whether to grant bail to Arisman
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The Criminal Court is scheduled to announce its decision Monday whether to release red-shirt leader Arisman Pongruangrong on bail.
The court set the schedule holding a hearing Wednesday for Arisman to give his reasons for remaining on the run until his surrender last week. Some defence witnesses also promised the court that Arisman would not jump bail.
Arisman told the court that he would stop organising violent demonstrations and would focus on educating the red-shirt people about democracy.
Arisman was remanded last Wednesday pending trial on terrorism charges related to last year’s political chaos, in which he reportedly had a leading role. He was also charged with defaming former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Pol Maj Gen Amnuay Nimmano, a deputy metropolitan police chief.
Arisman left the country for Cambodia following the May 19 crackdown on the red-shirt rally at Ratchaprasong Intersection.
His first request for temporary release was rejected by the court, which cited his escape and the severe sentence at stake as two critical factors for the rejection.
Arisman was taken from the Bangkok Remand Prison the Criminal Court at 10.20am.
Arisman told the court that he did not want to escape trial in the three cases but he had to flee because he learned that he had become a target of assassination.
During the hearing, the judge asked Arisman several questions as to why he had not turned himself in earlier. Arisman replied that he had received tips-off from reporters, officials and military offices that he could be killed.
Arisman said he was ready to comply with all conditions of the court to guarantee that he would not jump bail and he promised that he would not hold political rallies again.
