Libel: Thaksin wins right to sue Kaewsun

The Appeals Court yesterday ruled to overturn a lower court’s dismissal verdict and to order the start of a libel trial involving Kaewsun.
Thaksin instructed his legal team to launch the court battle in 2007 after Kaewsan, then a member of the Assets Examination Committee, had given an interview aired by Channel 5 outlining alleged graft violations linked to the former prime minister.
As plaintiff, Thaksin contends Kaewsun defamed him and abused the anti-graft law to tarnish his reputation.
The Criminal Court found the case lacked merit for a judicial review, ruling out a trial.
The appellate decision said the plaintiff brought up valid legal arguments on libel despite a lack of grounds to suspect Kaewsan’s abuse of the anti-graft law.
The high court then instructed the trial to commence focusing on libel, and dismissed charges of abusive citing of anti-graft provisions.
 In another case, the appellate decision confirmed the lower court’s verdict to dismiss litigation in which Chaiwat Sinsuwong, an ally of the People’s Alliance for Democracy, sued assistant national police chief Lt-General Wuthi Puawes.
Chaiwat argued that Wuthi had abused his power in issuing a warrant to summon him in connection with the Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports seizure in 2008.
In its ruling, the high court said the case did not warrant a judicial review because Wuthi had strictly followed police procedures on summoning.
In another development, the Criminal Court postponed until July 18 a ruling on whether to try former prime minister Somchai Wongsawat for abuse of power in connection with the crackdown on yellow shirts in October 2008.
 The anti-riot operations took place near Parliament where the yellow shirts staged a blockade to prevent the Somchai government from delivering a policy statement. Five victims sued for what they viewed as an excessive use of force to cause bloodshed.