ID :
109632
Wed, 03/03/2010 - 20:24
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http://m.oananews.org//node/109632
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Red Shirts seek to impeach nine judges in Thaksin case
BANGKOK, March 3 (TNA) - The anti-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) will petition the Senate Speaker to impeach the nine Supreme Court judges who ruled last week to confiscate Bt4.6 billion in frozen assets of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
A key leader of the UDD Red Shirts, Jatuporn Prompan, said he would be among the 20,000 signatories his group plans to collect in an attempt to remove the judges.
The UDD will present the petition to the Senate Speaker on Friday.
The people have the right to freedom of expression when they think that the verdict is against the Constitution, he said.
Secretary-General Wirat Chinwinijkul of the Courts of Justice earlier said anyone signing the petition could face a lawsuit if later investigation shows no law violation as the petitioners claim.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said it is the right of the Red Shirts to collect signatures in an effort to impeach the judges, but it must be done within the legal framework.
The nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions last Friday ordered to seize assets valued at Bt46.373 billion ($1.4 billion) of the entire Bt76.6 billion ($2.29 billion) in frozen assets of the Shinawatra family.
The highest court ruled that Mr Thaksin illegally concealed his ownership of stock in Shin Corp., the family's telecommunications empire, and abused his authority during his two terms in office, from 2001-2006 to benefit Shin Corp's businesses, therefore the earnings from the shares and dividends gained while Mr Thaksin was in power were assets that were illegally acquired and must be seized.
The judges said the remaining frozen assets valued at Bt30.2 billion will be returned to Mr Thaksin and his ex-wife Pojaman na Pombejra as the assets had been acquired before Mr Thaksin became prime minister in 2001. (TNA)
A key leader of the UDD Red Shirts, Jatuporn Prompan, said he would be among the 20,000 signatories his group plans to collect in an attempt to remove the judges.
The UDD will present the petition to the Senate Speaker on Friday.
The people have the right to freedom of expression when they think that the verdict is against the Constitution, he said.
Secretary-General Wirat Chinwinijkul of the Courts of Justice earlier said anyone signing the petition could face a lawsuit if later investigation shows no law violation as the petitioners claim.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said it is the right of the Red Shirts to collect signatures in an effort to impeach the judges, but it must be done within the legal framework.
The nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions last Friday ordered to seize assets valued at Bt46.373 billion ($1.4 billion) of the entire Bt76.6 billion ($2.29 billion) in frozen assets of the Shinawatra family.
The highest court ruled that Mr Thaksin illegally concealed his ownership of stock in Shin Corp., the family's telecommunications empire, and abused his authority during his two terms in office, from 2001-2006 to benefit Shin Corp's businesses, therefore the earnings from the shares and dividends gained while Mr Thaksin was in power were assets that were illegally acquired and must be seized.
The judges said the remaining frozen assets valued at Bt30.2 billion will be returned to Mr Thaksin and his ex-wife Pojaman na Pombejra as the assets had been acquired before Mr Thaksin became prime minister in 2001. (TNA)
