Court rejects Red Shirt bid to revoke indictment

BANGKOK, July 9 – Thailand’s Criminal Court on Friday dismissed a petition by four Red Shirt leaders seeking to revoke the indictment against them for besieging the home of Privy Council president Gen Prem Tinsulanonda three years ago.

A lawyer representing the Red Shirts filed a request to the court seeking revocation of the indictment in the case for which prosecutors filed a lawsuit against Veera Musikapong, Weng Tojirakarn, Natthawut Saikua and Wiphuthalaeng Pattanaphumthai for laying siege at the Sisao Thewes residence of the Privy Council president in 2007.

The court said the indictment was justified and there are no grounds to revoke it. The Red Shirt lawyer said he would file an appeal later.

The four Red Shirt leaders appeared in court Thursday to testify after being indicted on charges of leading the Red Shirts besieging the Bangkok home of Gen. Prem. They denied all charges.

They are now detained at the Bangkok Remand Prison on terrorism charges for their roles in the anti-government protest during April-May that turned violent with grenade attacks and arson in the capital and some provinces in the North and Northeast.

On July 22, 2007, the four allegedly led thousands of UDD supporters to surround the home of former prime minister Prem at Si Sao Thewes, calling
for him to resign as Privy Council president.

Apart from the four, three other UDD leaders were indicted on the same charges last year -- Nopparut Vorachitwutthikul, Veerasak Hemthilin, and
Wanchai Naphuttha.

The court set October 5 as the date for the first hearing. (MCOT online news)