Ombudsman threatens to take Thaksin passport issue to court
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The Office of the Ombudsman has yet to receive a formal explanation from the Foreign Ministry for why it refused to comply with the ombudsman's instruction to recall fugitive former PM Thaksin Shinawatra's passport.
Chalermsak Chantaratim, secretary general of the Ombudsman’s Office, said that if the ombudsman finds the ministry’s reasons unacceptable, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra would be asked to intervene.
Should Yingluck decide to side with the Foreign Ministry, then the government’s defiant behaviour will be taken to Parliament, Chalermsak said.
Should both the government and the legislature decide to let Thaksin continue holding a Thai passport, the ombudsman will then seek a judicial review from the Administrative Court, he said.
