An apparently confident former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said today that he is not overly concerned about his trial on lèse majesté charges, as he reported to the Criminal Court for a pre-trial hearing this morning.
Wearing a yellow Polo Shirt and dark suit and surrounded by a team of lawyers, Thaksin was immediately mobbed by a large group of reporters as he stepped out of his chauffeured sedan in front of the court.
Thaksin, who has been released from parole by an amnesty decree, told reporters that the lèse majesté charge was filed against him after the 2014 coup, adding that he thought it was a decision by the authorities at the time to enforce the law.
The lèse majesté charge is a result of remarks made by Thaksin during an interview with South Korean media in 2015, which were deemed to defame the Monarchy.
Asked by a reporter as he entered the court whether his yellow Polo shirt was sending a message, he responded by saying that the message is clear.
Members of the media were not allowed into the court building for security reasons. About 70 court and metropolitan police officers were deployed at and around the court to maintain order.
The pre-trial hearing today is intended to allow both the public prosecutor in charge of the case and the defendant and his legal team to examine the evidence presented by the two parties.
Lists of prosecution and defence witnesses were also presented for discussion. It is a process similar to that known as “discovery” in other jurisdictions.
Hearings will be set by the court when both parties and the court agree on dates convenient to all parties involved.
