The Appeals Court has upheld a lower court’s ruling, rejecting former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s request to leave Thailand to attend a banquet for world leaders in Qatar, to be hosted by Amir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in the Lusail palace.
Former Senator Somchai Sawangkarn claimed in his Facebook post today that Thaksin’s lawyer submitted the appeal after the Criminal Court refused Thaksin’s request on May 8th.
In rejecting the appeal, the Appeals Court ruled that there was no evidence that US President Donald Trump had agreed to meet with Thaksin during the visit to Qatar. Thaksin had claimed in his request to the Criminal Court that he might have a chance to meet with President Trump and his economic team during the visit to Qatar.
The Criminal Court also noted that Thaksin was invited to Qatar to attend the banquet in his personal capacity and not as an advisor the ASEAN chairman, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The Appeals Court also pointed out that the requested visit to Qatar would be close to the June 13th, the date set by the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions to hold an enquiry into whether the Supreme Court’s prison sentence imposed on Thaksin on three corruption convictions has been executed by the Corrections Department, in light of Thaksin’s prolonged stay outside prison at the Police General Hospital.
The court has instructed all parties in the three cases, including the prosecutors, Thaksin and the Corrections Department to submit relevant documents no later than 30 days before the enquiry date.
