Paroled former prime minister Thaksin left his Chan Song La residence this morning for the Ratchadaphisek Criminal Court to be formally indicted with lese majeste and violation of Computer Crime Act charges by the public prosecutors.
Travelling in a chauffeured Mercedes Benz, Thaksin was seen through the car’s window waving to a small army of photographers who had been waiting in front of his house since the morning.
His personal lawyer, Winyat Chartmontri, went to the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) on his behalf to acknowledge the lese majeste charge. He will later join Thaksin at the Criminal Court.
Thaksin’s car arrived at the Criminal Court through the back gate at about 8.48 am.
According to the legal procedure, he will be formally indicted before the court judges and then his lawyer will apply for bail.
If the court rejects his bail application, he will be escorted to the Bangkok Remand Prison for detention, pending the trail. If the court agrees to his bail application, he will be released on bail.
Many red-shirt supporters gathered in the court’s compound to give moral support to the former prime minister. More are expected to arrive later on.
Winyat told the media at the OAG Thaksin is not worried at all whether his bail application will be approved by the court as he is ready for the trial.
The lese majeste charge against Thaksin is related to remarks he made in an interview with a South Korean newspaper on May 21st, 2015 during which he accused privy councillors of supporting the 2014 coup that ousted the government of prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
