A panel of public prosecutors have voted 8:2 to not appeal against the Criminal Court’s acquittal of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on a lèse majesté charge, in connection with remarks he made during an interview with a South Korean TV station in 2015.
The panel was formed at the order of the attorney-general to consider whether public prosecutors in charge of the case should appeal.
The panel’s decision is now being considered by the outgoing attorney-general, who has until October 1st to finalize the case before his mandatory retirement, said an informed source in the Office of the Attorney-General.
The attorney-general has the sole authority to make the final decision, because the alleged offence took place outside Thailand.
In acquitting Thaksin of the lèse majesté charge on August 22, the Criminal Court said that, during the interview in question, the former prime minister only criticised the junta leaders responsible for staging the coup that toppled the government of then Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, some private council members as well as Suthep Thaugsuban, leader of the anti-government protests.
There was nothing whatsoever mentioned that implied the monarchy’s role in the coup, according to the court’s ruling.
