No lese majeste charges for Thaksin and Witsanu
Prosecutors dropped a lese majeste charge against caretaker prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his deputy Wissanu Kreangam on Thursday, citing insufficient evidence for prosecution.
"Pending a further review by police, prosecutors deem it unwarranted to prosecute Thaksin and Wissanu," prosecution spokesman Atthaphol Yaisawang said. Many civic groups, including a loyalist group of law professionals, initiated legal proceedings charging the two for offending the monarchy by chairing a religious ceremony at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha last April. His accusers contended that Thaksin had offended the monarchy by holding the ceremony inside the temple reserved for the Royal Family. Wissanu was a key organiser of the event. Atthaphol said the decision against prosecution would be scrutinised by national police chief General Kowit Watana. The attorney general, Patchara Yutithamdamrong, will have the final say on the matter if Kowit disputes with the prosecutors, he added. In another development, prosecutors made two differing decisions on two separate cases involving industrialist Prachai Leophairatana. In the first decision, Prachai will be prosecuted for defamation relating to his remarks made about the Privy Council in the wake of a bankruptcy court's hearing on the rehabilitation plan for the TPI Group in May 2004. In the second case, prosecutors cited a lack of motive as grounds not to prosecute him for lese mejeste relating to his remarks also made after the hearing. The Nation
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