Rights lawyer presents herself to police
A rights lawyer, Sirikan Charoensiri, reported to Chana Songkram police station on Wednesday to be informed of charges against her for allegedly submitting a false report to police in violation of the Criminal Code’s Article 172 and 174, Matichon Online has reported.
According to the Sirikan-affiliated Thai Lawyers for Human Rights group, the allegation followed her filing a complaint of malfeasance in office against Pol Lt-General Chayapol Chatchayadetch and other police officers for illegally impounding her car on the night of June 27, 2015.
At that time, she was among legal representatives for 14 student activists from the New Democracy Movement (NDM) who were arrested after staging peaceful protests against the military-installed government.
The NDM activists were charged with sedition and breaking the junta’s ban on political gatherings of five or more people.
Without a court warrant, the police officers, led by Chayapol, requested permission to search Sirikan’s car to confiscate the activists’ mobile phones. She refused, resulting in the police impounding her car containing the phones, case files and personal computers.
The following afternoon, she went to police station to file a complaint of malfeasance regarding the seizure of her car against Chayapol and other officials. Officers initially refused to take the complaint, but it was eventually accepted.
In February last year, she was accused of refusing to comply with authorities and concealing properties to be sent as evidence. She received a summons last month.
On Wednesday, Sirikan, who has constantly denied the charges against her, was released after reporting to police on grounds that her charge was a petty offense and she had cooperated with police by turning herself in.