Watana petitions judge over ‘threat’ to lawyer

In a letter submitted to Criminal Court Chief Justice Supat Sutthimanas, Watana said officers threatened his lawyer Narinpong Jinapak by saying, “At most, we will shoot you in the mouth,” in front of other lawyers at the court on Monday.
The act should be deemed an abuse of power and inappropriate behaviour, Watana said.
The petition was made because the alleged action happened in the court, the former minister added.
“The TCSD has created a conflict with me. How can they ensure that my rights and freedoms are protected properly?” he asked. 
Narinpong, who also chairs the Lawyers’ Association of Thailand, said the association would also submit a petition to the chief justice, objecting to lawyers being threatened in court.
On Monday, Watana appealed against the TCSD’s request for the court to detain him until September 1 on charges of breaching the Computer Crime Act and the Penal Code’s Article 116 on sedition. 
The charges were brought against him after he criticised on Facebook the removal of the 1932 Siamese Revolution plaque at the Royal Plaza in April.

Plea for detention without bail
The TCSD argued that Watana should be detained without bail because interrogations were ongoing and given his allegedly severe wrongdoing.
While waiting for the court’s decision on Monday, Watana broadcast a five-minute Facebook Live clip, which resulted in him facing another charge for contempt of court. He was sentenced to a month in jail, suspended for a year, and fined Bt500.
He was also temporarily released on Bt200,000 bail for the sedition charge.
He said the TCSD officers’ threatening manner should be considered as more severe than his Facebook Live broadcast.
Watana also said he planned to again appeal the court’s decision on his detention, arguing that he had always reported himself to the court on scheduled dates, lived in a fixed residence and never meddled with evidence.
The appeal would have to be made before September 1, the last day of his detention period.
Watana is among Pheu Thai figures who have said they will provide moral support on Friday to former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra at the Supreme Court, where she will hear the final verdict in her long-running trial for negligence in relation to her government’s rice-pledging scheme.
Authorities have not banned the public from appearing at the court but warned that people must not cause conflicts or create a scene.