Korkaew to present more witnesses
The fate of the five red-shirt leaders, who are facing terrorism charges, will be decided today after the Criminal Court deferred making a decision yesterday.
Pheu Thai Party-list MP Korkaew Pikulthong is preparing two more witnesses, who will present their testimonies today, while the other four believe that they are already off the hook.
Meanwhile, Democrat MP for Phatthalung Nipit Intarasombat has asked the court to revoke the bail of the five red-shirt leaders, namely Korkaew, Weng Tojirakarn, Deputy Commerce Minister Natthawut Saikua, Karun Hosakul and Wiputhalaeng Pattanaphoomthai.
Nipit claims they tried to instigate unrest while criticising the Constitution Court’s ruling against the charter amendment process in July, saying that what the five said was tantamount to a violation of their bail conditions.
All red shirts, with the exception of Korkaew, were told they could go home and wait for the court’s final decision, signalling that their bail is not likely to be revoked.
Korkaew told The Nation yesterday that he felt nothing after hearing that he was the only person the court needed more details from. “I have no emotions. I have no feelings,” he said as he excused himself to prepare his case.
Meanwhile, Thida Thavornseth Tojirakarn, who is one of the two people who will be testifying in Korkaew’s defence today, said the defendant was mild mannered and did not have any intentions of instigating any unrest.
“It is Nipit’s personal view [that Korkaew wants to see unrest],” Thida, who was at court along with her husband Weng, said.
Weng said before leaving court at 1pm yesterday that he and the three others were almost certain their bail would not be revoked.
Nattawut, meanwhile, said he had never called for the red shirts to rally against the Constitution Court.
“The court did not have any doubts and allowed me to go to work,” he said as he boarded his van. He was applauded by the 50 or so red shirts who were waiting outside the court to support their leaders.
Separately, at the Criminal Court, red-shirt co-leader Arisman Pongruangrong asked his lawyer to defer the hearing for the libel case filed against him by opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva to Monday because he was suffering from food poisoning.
Abhisit is suing Arisman for defamation after the red-shirt co-leader accused the former PM of ordering the killing of red-shirt protesters and for delaying the process of seeking a royal pardon for the convicted former PM Thaksin Shinawatra.
