Former Thai Prime Ministers Goes to Court

ANCHOR:
Ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, recently back from exile, appeared in court in Bangkok on Wednesday. He pleaded not guilty to charges of corruption against him and his wife.

STORY:
Hundreds of supporters of the former prime minister, who was ousted in a 2006 coup, waited outside the court to greet him as he arrived. The tycoon former prime minister placed his palms together in a gesture of respect toward his supporters and even hugged some of them.

[Pitchid Chuenban, Head of Thaksin's Legal Team]:
"I don't think it will be long now that everyone will know the truth. A lot of people criticized him for doing wrong things but they didn't have the right information."

Thaksin says he is innocent of the charge which relate to his wife's
purchase at auction of a prime piece of land in Bangkok owned by the Bank of
Thailand while he was prime minister.
Anti-graft laws prevent serving
politicians and their spouses from doing business deals with state agencies.


After 18 months in exile, Thaksin is still hugely popular, mainly among the urban and rural poor. They believe his policies like cheap healthcare and easy loans really improved their lives.

Billionaire Thaksin and 46 top officials were also charged on Monday with illegal use of state lottery funds.

The former prime minister, who won two landslide election victories, has said he only wants to clear his name, and will devote his remaining years to family, charity, teaching, and running his English Premier League soccer club, Manchester City.

But few believe he has stepped completely out of politics.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• ntdtv
• thailand
• thaksin
• shinawatra
• exile
• bangkok

[mallcorekidsdie]

funny how kornthep was killed so he couldn't testify against thakki. And the thousands who died on his war on drugs. worse than Mao.

[pantamit4eva]

apparently the Thug decided to run away to other country

shame on fugutive Thaksin

[shinkyoto]

please not hang

is too mercy for it!

[AtticuzFinch]

BIGGEST CORRUPTION IN THAI HISTORY.

Thaksin is the NEW HITLER of the world.

He's lower than animal now.

Thai people should hang him asap.