Thaksin sues Boonlert, MP for defamation

CentralWorld arson case against teens dropped

A lawyer for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday filed a defamation complaint with police against the leader of the anti-government group Pitak Siam and a Democrat MP.

Worawit Laolaeng filed the complaints on Thaksin's behalf at the Dusit police station.

In the first complaint, Thaksin alleged that Pitak Siam leader General Boonlert Kaewprasit and other organisers of the group's anti-government rally on November 24 played an audio clip of someone verbally attacking the monarchy, and deceived the protesters by telling them the recording was of Thaksin's voice.

Thaksin said in a letter handed to police by Worawit that the voice was not his, and that rally organisers had showed a picture of him while the recording was played to create the false impression that it was his voice.

In the second letter, Thaksin alleged that Democrat MP Withoon Nambutr defamed him during the censure debate on November 25.

In another development, the Juvenile Court dropped charges against two teenage boys accused of taking part in the arson attack against CentralWorld on May 19, 2010.

The court ruled that the public prosecutors lacked evidence and witnesses to prove that the boys, aged 16 and 17 at the time of the attack, had taken part in setting fire to the shopping mall.

The boys were charged with collaborating with red-shirt guards Saichon Paebua and Pinij Channarong, along with other suspects who remain at large, in setting fire to the shopping mall during the crackdown on red-shirt protesters, causing a man to be killed inside the mall. The man was identified as Kittipong Somsuk.

The court ruled that the two boys were arrested at 5pm on the day of the fire, but the authorities did not find any items on them that could be used to implicate them in the arson. Moreover, the two do not appear on security camera footage. The boys testified that they were scared by the crackdown and simply hid inside the mall.

The two boys and their lawyer asked the government to pay compensation to them, saying the long trial had cost the boys their jobs and caused them to leave school.

The South Bangkok Criminal Court has yet to hear testimony in the case against Saichon and Pinij, two red-shirt guards. The public prosecutors presented the last witness to the court on November 5.

Earlier, the court dropped charges against six suspects accused of robbing CentralWorld. The suspects are Pinij, Wisit Kaewla, Arthit Baosuwan, Pornchai Lohitdee, Yutthachai Sinoi and Jiam Thongma.

In another development, the Appeals Court yesterday delayed reading the verdict in a defamation case filed by Thaksin against Sondhi Limthongkul, a leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy, and 11 other people to February 19.

The 11 other defendants include former senator Chirmsak Pinthong and two academics, Chai-anan Samudvanich and Pramote Nakhonthap.

Thaksin alleged the 12 defendants defamed him during a public discussion from May 24-28, 2006 at Thammasat University by accusing him of creating what they called the "Finland Agreement" to have the Thai Rak Thai Party seize control of Thailand.

A lower court earlier rejected Thaksin's suit on grounds that the defendants did not say that Thaksin and Thai Rak Thai had made the "Finland Agreement" with anyone in power. The court also ruled there was no statement affirming the existence of such an agreement.

Thaksin and Thai Rak Thai appealed the ruling. The Appeals Court yesterday delayed the verdict announcement on grounds that Pramote had not been informed of the planned reading.

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Article source: http://www.thethailandlinks.com/2012/12/13/thaksin-sues-boonlert-mp-for-defamation/