The Office of Attorney General (OAG) has rejected a petition, filed recently by political activist Thirayuth Suwankesorn with the Constitutional Court, demanding a probe into the conduct of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the Pheu Thai party over alleged attempts to upend constitutional democracy in Thailand.
Thirayuth’s petition was forwarded to the OAG by the court, instructing the OAG to investigate the petition and to report its findings to the court within 15 days.
In the findings which have now been received by the court, the OAG ruled that the acts by Thaksin and the Pheu Thai party did not qualify as an attempt to overthrow constitutional democracy as alleged by Thirayuth.
The petitioner still has the right to ask the court to consider his petition.
Thirayuth’s allegation concerns six controversial issues:
· Thaksin’s six-month stay in the Police General Hospital, instead of spending time in prison serving his commuted one-year term. Doctors at the Corrections Department and the Police General Hospital claimed that the former prime minister suffered from life-threatening illnesses which required his stay at the hospital.
· MoU 44 between Thailand and Cambodia, signed by Thaksin and then Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen over 20 years ago for joint development of the “claim area” in the Gulf, which put Thailand in a disadvantageous position vis-à-vis Cambodia.
· Thaksin’s chairing of a meeting of coalition parties at his Ban Chan Song La residence on August 14th, to form a new government after then Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin was removed by the Constitutional Court.
· Thaksin’s apparent domination of the Pheu Thai party, with the party adopting his visions as government’s policies.
· The former prime minister was instrumental in the Pheu Thai party’s decision to exclude the Palang Pracharath from the new coalition alliance.
· Thaksin allegedly instructed the Pheu Thai party to cooperate with the People’s party to amend the Constitution.
