Next month crucial for '2-faced PM'

HAS SAMAK CURSED HIS WAY INTO INDISPENSABILITY?

There are times in life when things become easier when no one likes you. For double-agents in the spy game, it can be a perfect situation. Let's take a look at Samak. The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) hates him, the People Power Party has started to distrust him, the media wants to have him for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and last but not least, Thaksin is seriously doubting him.

Whose side is he actually on? When Samak met PPP members he said there was no way he could betray Thaksin. When he met the police, he said they did the right thing issuing warrants for the Shinawatras. The PAD wants to burn him at the stake but the military seems content. Meanwhile rumours have trickled out from the judiciary that, thanks to Samak and what should be Thaksin's long absence, the PPP could escape dissolution, or at least be dissolved without its executives being banned.

We'll have to wait and see, but questions are growing. Is Samak now indispensable? Far from it. Are he and Thaksin drifting apart? Yes.

A key indication of Samak's importance will be seen when the Constitution Court decides, probably next month, if he should be disqualified for hosting two TV shows.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN ENGLAND AFTER AN EXTRADITION REQUEST?

Reader Anthony Pearson sent a possible scenario: Once a foreign government issues an extradition warrant for a fugitive in the UK, British police become duty-bound to detain the accused. Suspects then appear before at Bow Street Court in London, where the magistrate really only has one decide whether to grant or deny bail to the suspects. The extradition request would rarely be decided by the magistrate, as cases are usually go to the Crown Court.

Pearson raised an interest-ing question: "One important point is the suspects have already jumped bail in Thailand, so where does that leave their counsels when arguing for bail elsewhere?"

(Last week's column |identified Chilean strongman Pinochet as Argentinian. We regret the mistake).

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