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Published on October 1, 2007

Lawyers representing former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday called on Assets Examination Committee members to resign.

Lawyers Wichit Plungsrisakul, Wibul Chaemchuen and Nikhom Chaokittisophon claimed at a news conference yesterday the investigation body had failed to make any concrete achievements in the past year.

The legal team conceded the committee had brought charges against Thaksin, but added it had failed to achieve the aims established by the 2006 coup leaders.

Wichit described as a "bribe" the committee's offer of 25 per cent of any of Thaksin's assets discovered with leads provided to the committee by informants.

He said this had state budgetary implications yet had never been tabled for National Legislative Assembly consideration.

The lawyers will lodge police complaints against committee members for violation of budget legislation.

Wichit said three judges sitting on the committee - Udom Fuangfung, Amnuay Tantara and Jiraniti Hawanon - should resign immediately. Their positions on the committee violates the judicial code of ethics requiring judges to hold no other positions, they said.

Udom hit back at Wichit, saying he believed all former judges serving on the committee worked for the country and could "not be bought".

"We judges never serve those with money and power. We act only on what is authorised by law. We are true professionals and stick to our ethics and can never be bought," he added.

"We are not pariahs; not like those who utilise their partial roles in courtrooms and come out and talk. These people serve individuals but do not uphold their professional ideology. I don't name anyone but understand fully they don't want former judges to check on people they serve.

"We have to consider that they speak for the sake of society or for their own interests, or they speak for anyone in particular. We also have to see whether it's them who do the speaking or if it is the money. Sometimes money can talk through people," he said.

Meanwhile, political movements with ties to "the old power" are attempting to launch a satellite-television station to broadcast during the campaign for the December 23 election.

The new station will seek to use a frequency formerly held by a music-television broadcaster.

One personality on the station is reportedly Worraphol Thammikkabutr, a Thammasat University lecturer known for his anti-coup stance.