Trial filed by American against caretaker PM to start in Sept
A Criminal suit filed by an American businessman against caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will go on trial in September, a Thai court said on Monday.
The South Bangkok Criminal Court said the trial, involving a business venture that dated back to the late 1980s, will start on September 18.American businessman William L Monson filed criminal charges May 2, after winning a civil court case last year against Thaksin. The legal wrangling dated back to 1989, when Monson claims Thaksin - who was starting to build his telecommunications business - violated an agreement to jointly operate a cable television enterprise, seized transmission equipment and levied criminal charges against Monson, his company and his staff. Both parties filed several lawsuits against each other in Thailand and the United States. Monson's successful Clearview Cable TV company, based in Seattle, Washington, moved into Thailand in the early 1980s and forged a joint venture, Video Link, with Thaksin's Shinawatra Computer and International Broadcasting Corp. in 1985. Thaksin was initially able to facilitate the required official approvals of the deal, but then the government halted it. Thaksin and Monson negotiated another agreement, hoping to restart operations. Monson says Thaksin abruptly violated the agreement, and announced that he, Thaksin, would operate the cable system alone. Thai police, Monson says, then broke into his offices to remove transmission equipment, while his manager was taken to jail, warrants were issued for Monson and criminal charges levied against him, his company and staff. A Thai court later dismissed the charges. The Nation and Associated Press
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