Ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will have to be a fugitive for his entire life because the statute of limitations of all the legal cases pending against him in court is infinite, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said Monday.
Thaksin was sentenced to two years imprisonment by the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Posts in connection with the Ratchapisek land deal. However, the statute of limitations of the case expired on October 21 after he escaped imprisonment for ten years since the court delivered its conviction verdict.
General Prawit said there are still several cases pending against Thaksin in the court and the cases can proceed in his absence under the amended organic law which also prescribes that there is no limit to the statute of limitations.
The deputy prime minister declined to comment on Thaksin’s claim in his recent interview with the Japanese public broadcaster NHK that the pro-democracy camp would triumph in the next election and would command more than 300 seats in the House of Representatives.
He said that the Election Commission should look into Thaksin’s activities, including his comments to the media.
