Red-shirt leaders met Thaksin
Play
Jatuporn and Natthawut got court permission to visit Hong Kong
Red-shirt leaders Jatuporn Promphan and Natthawut Saikua were granted permission to leave the country temporarily because it was believed they would not jump bail, the Criminal Court said yesterday.
Court Chief Justice Thawee Prachuaplap said that Jatuporn and Natthawut – like other defendants granted bail – had the right to travel or meet anyone, even if that person might be fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Jatuporn and Natthawut, key defendants in a terrorism case in connection with the political unrest and riots of 2010, met with Thaksin in Hong Kong last weekend.
According to the chief justice, Jatuporn sought court permission to travel to Hong Kong from October 6 to 8, while Natthawut sought to visit Vietnam on October 3-4 and Hong Kong on October 5-7. They were required to report back to the court tomorrow and place a surety of Bt60,000 each.
“The court always allows defendants to travel overseas if it finds that the persons will not try to escape,” Thawee said.
He added that the court might not allow such an overseas trip if the defendants were suspected of going to plot a severe incident or to meet with someone considered dangerous or wanted for serious crimes.
When reminded by a reporter that Thaksin was a fugitive, Thawee said Jatuporn and Natthawut did not specify in their requests that they would meet Thaksin. “As far as I know, Thaksin was sentenced to two years in jail – and that was not a severe punishment,” he said.
In 2008, the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders imposed a two-year jail term on Thaksin for abuse of authority over a land deal but the former PM had fled the country.
Natthawut, who is deputy agriculture minister, admitted yesterday he had met Thaksin in Hong Kong last weekend but said they had not discussed politics.
Natthawut travelled to Hong Kong with Jatuporn, who is tipped to join the Cabinet headed by Thaksin’s sister Yingluck.
Natthawut said he just happened to have some errands in Hong Kong while Jatuporn wanted to take a vacation. So they took the opportunity to meet Thaksin, which was a common thing to do because they had not seen one another for a long time.
Referring to a Cabinet reshuffle, he said that was within the power and consideration of the prime minister.
The minister guaranteed with his honour and dignity that during the meeting with Thaksin, they did not talk about domestic politics.
Thaksin wanted to convey his concern for red shirts who were detained or injured, and urged them to look after one another and give moral support, he said.
Observers say a reshuffle of the Yingluck Cabinet is imminent following Yongyuth Wichaidit’s resignation as deputy premier last week. Many politicians seeking Cabinet seats were seen travelling to Hong Kong to meet Thaksin, while Yingluck has kept insisting there will be no reshuffle soon.
Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung denied he met Thaksin in Hong Kong over the weekend, saying a photo of him with Thaksin published in the Hong Kong media was an old picture from five years ago.
“I actually met Thaksin in 2007. I did nothing wrong because at that time I had no (political) position. It was before the then Power People Party, who won the election, formed a government. If I had failed to meet him I would never have been appointed interior minister,” Chalerm said.
Meanwhile, Democrat Party Deputy Spokesman Mallika Boonmeetrakool said she had gained many clues on Thaksin’s whereabouts from civic group networks and social media and would submit them to the PM’s Office so they can arrest Thaksin.
She was also investigating the photo of Thaksin and Chalerm, she said, to see if it was an old photo as Chalerm claimed. If it was a current picture, she would submit a petition to the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate the deputy prime minister’s ethics.
