Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was cleared of royal defamation charges, a major reprieve for the politician whose family-backed parties have held sway over the nation’s politics for more than two decades.
A criminal court in Bangkok yesterday cleared Thaksin of allegations that he had contravened the royal insult law over comments he made to a South Korean media outlet in 2015, his lawyer Winyat Chatmontree said.
The prosecution could challenge the ruling in a higher court.
Photo: AFP
The court decided to dismiss the case, as the evidence furnished by the prosecution did not conclusively show Thaksin had referred to the then-reigning king Bhumibol Adulyadej in his remarks, it said in a statement.
Thaksin was also cleared of associated cyber crimes charges.
Thaksin was formally charged last year under the lese-majeste law, which protects the royal family from criticism, almost a year after his return from 15 years of self-exile.
The case highlighted Thailand’s enduring power struggle. Thaksin’s populist appeal has long posed a challenge to the Bangkok establishment of military and business elites. Central to the conflict is the lese-majeste law that carries penalties including up to 15 years in prison, which Thaksin said his rivals wielded against him following his 2006 ouster.
The acquittal should ease concerns of renewed tensions in a country that has a long history of political instability marked by ousters of multiple prime ministers through either court rulings or military coups.
The royal insult case was the first in a string of legal cases against members of the Shinawatra clan.
Thaksin also faces a decision by the Supreme Court next month over whether he actually served a one-year prison sentence for a corruption conviction when he spent time in a police hospital after returning to Thailand.
An unfavorable ruling could potentially send him back to jail.
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thaksin’s youngest daughter, has been suspended from office by the Thai Constitutional Court for alleged ethical misconduct in handling a border conflict with Cambodia.
She would learn on Friday next week if she can return to office or is permanently disqualified.
A guilty verdict for Paetongtarn would make her the second Thai leader to be ousted by the same court in two years, and trigger a parliamentary vote for a new leader.
The ruling coalition helmed by the Pheu Thai Party is already teetering, following the exit of a key ally in the wake of a controversy over a leaked telephone call, forcing it to go slow on some major economic legislation.
“The outcome of his daughter’s case depends on Thaksin’s dealmaking, but it’s certain that he won’t easily give up power,” Burapha University Faculty of Political Science and Law deputy dean Olarn Thinbangtieo said. “He still has the backing of the business elites and has the coalition parties in the palm of his hand.”
The case against Thaksin was revived after his homecoming, following a messy election that saw his family-backed Pheu Thai Party come back to power.
His return and the government formation with the support of several pro-royalist parties were widely viewed as part of a deal with the conservative establishment.
Thaksin’s acquittal underscores his relevance to the old guard who are still seeking to shape Thai politics, Olarn said.
“Thaksin will leverage this to preserve the position of power of his family and his party,” he said.
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