Noppadon Pattama insisted the Assets Examination Committee (AEC) had made a wrong interpretation of the law in accusing Thaksin of breaching Article 100 of National Counter Corruption Commission law for the land purchase by his wife.

He said the AEC had violated Thaksin's human rights by interpreting the law in order to incriminate him. "Developed countries do not interpret the law to suggest that someone is guilty," he said. The provision prohibits government officials - including prime ministers - and their spouses from entering into or having interests in contracts made with state agencies under their authorisation.

The AEC believed Thaksin as prime minister had violated the law as he had authorised the land auction by the Bank of Thailand's Financial Institutions Development Fund (FIDF).

Noppadon insisted that Thaksin did not authorise the fund. "The FIDF is a juristic entity separate from the Bank of Thailand [BOT]. If Thaksin could not order the BOT, how could he order the FIDF," he said.

He said he had told Thaksin - who is in Beijing - during a telephone call yesterday morning about the accusations that derived from the primary investigation by the AEC.

Noppadon said Thaksin is ready to return to prove his innocence and his dignity saying there has been an attempt to harass him, his wife and children.

As a Thai citizen, he has the right to return, but he had stayed away for the last three months for the sake of the country's national reconciliation.

Noppadol said that Thaksin will not return to politics as his family wants him to wash his hands off politics. "There will not be mobs to pressure the Constitution Court," he said.

Thaksin is among 22 people accused of violating the Criminal Code's Articles 157 and 83 for having struck the new baggage-handling system contract and approved the Airports of Thailand's (AOT) contract to buy the 26 bomb scanners directly from US-based scanner maker GE InVision Inc.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister MR Pridiyathorn Devakula yesterday expressed confidence that the FIDF could handle the case involving the land purchase on Ratchadapisek Road. "The guilt will fall on the buyer. I believe the Fund is capable of handling this," he said. The minister said he is waiting for the document from the AEC, which on Monday ruled that Thaksin violated the National Counter Corruption Act by letting his wife buy the land from the Fund.