Arrest warrant issued for 'Kamnan Sia'
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The Ratchadapisek Criminal Court Thursday issued an arrest warrant for former Kanchanaburi Democrat MP Pracha "Kamnan Sia" Pothipipit after he again failed to appear at the Supreme Court to hear the verdict in an alleged government contract bid-fixing cas
The verdict reading has been rescheduled for December 22.
A judge at Bangkok-based Ratchadapisek Criminal Court was not convinced by the claim by Pracha’s lawyer that the ex-MP could not appear in court because he was being treated for injuries sustained in an August 1 road accident. The lawyer also claimed Pracha had a heart condition.
The judge deemed Pracha a flight risk and ordered his arrest.
The court also issued an arrest warrant for another defendant, Wanna Lorpaiboon, the close aide of Pracha’s wife. The aide was not in court yesterday and the defence lawyer said he could not contact her.
Pracha, his wife Khemmaporn Tangjaiyen, Wanna and the late Thawil Sawasdee were defendants in this lawsuit. Only Khemmaporn appeared at the court Thursday.
The four defendants have been charged with using force against, intimidating and illegally detaining a Wassadu Centre Company representative in an alleged attempt to fix the result of a May 2001 bid for the sale steel cable to a government project.
