Thai premier says court decision on Bout independent, objective.

23/8 Tass 60

BANGKOK, August 23 (Itar-Tass) - Thai Premier Abhisit Vejjajiva on
Monday stressed again that the decision of the Kingdom's Court of Appeal
regarding Russian citizen Viktor Bout was "independent and objective".
Past Friday the court decreed to satisfy the request of the US side for
the businessman's extradition to the US.
The Russian Foreign Ministry had a sharp reaction to the decision,
presenting a number of facts calling in doubt the decision's transparency
and objectivity.
Answering the question of reporters about the impact of this matter on
relations between Thailand and Russia, Vejjajiva said, "Thailand's Foreign
Ministry will present to Moscow the necessary explanations to help it
understand the court's conclusions." He said, "Understanding will become
the key to Russian-Thai ties," he said. The government was not striving to
influence the result and did not interfere in the procedure. This is not a
political question, he added.
Regarding the court decision to extradite the Russian citizen,
Vejjajiva said, "Thai court is independent and objective." "We are
concerned over criticism addressed to the country's judiciary
authorities," he noted.
Russian citizen Bout is so far groundlessly accused in the United
States of a number of crimes connected with arms sale. Thailand's Criminal
Court in 2009 dropped all accusations against the Russian citizen, noting,
specifically, that the US had not produced enough proofs, while the
process in itself affected the interests of a number of countries and was
political. This time the Commission of Appeal found Bout's case having
nothing to do with politics and explained the lack of proofs by the fact
that, according to the plaintiff, they existed in the US.
Sources in Thailand's law enforcement bodies said on condition of
anonymity that "the US side hurries up with the extradition procedure"
without specifying at what stage the procedure was. Since the moment the
verdict was announced the US has 90 day to complete the procedure.
Bout's associates note that "every chance will be used to stop the
businessman's extradition."
-0-saf/gor