Army sues Thaksin for linking coup to Privy Council
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THE CRIMINAL Court has accepted a complaint against ousted and fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is accused of defaming the Army by linking it to the Privy Council in staging the coup on May 22 last year.
The court will examine the evidence and testimony on October 12.
While visiting South Korea between May 19 and 22 this year, Thaksin allegedly said in a filmed interview that the Privy Council played a role in last year’s coup.
The criminal complaint was filed by the Army, whose legal representative described Thaksin to the judges as “an undesirable person and a danger to the country”, adding that what the former PM allegedly said in the interview was untrue.
The plaintiff also told the court that Thaksin had accused the Army of admiring the kind of “democracy that exists in Myanmar”. The Army’s advocate-general added that this video was later shared via YouTube, thus causing further damage to the Army’s reputation.
The legal representative then submitted a copy of the said video, along with a transcript of the interview, to court. The interview is believed to have taken place on May 22 – one year after the military’s most recent seizure of power from an elected government.
