ID :
139349
Wed, 08/25/2010 - 19:15
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http://m.oananews.org//node/139349
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Thai PM: US cannot pressure Thailand to extradite alleged Russian arms dealer
BANGKOK, Aug 25 -- Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Wednesday said the United States could not pressure Thailand to extradite the alleged Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout to the United States as the process must be carried out under correct legal procedures.
Mr Abhisit stressed that the government considered the national interest as the most important matter.
The premier's comment came after the United States had reportedly sent a jet aircraft with air marshals to Bangkok, waiting to take Mr Bout to fact trial in the United States.
Mr Abhsiit said sending the plane to wait at the airport could not put pressure on Thailand and that the United States should not push the kingdom to accelerate the process as the procedures must be done step by step in accordance with detailed legal procedures.
Thailand had to bear in mind its bilateral ties as Mr Bout was wanted by both Russia and the United States, he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Director-General of the Information Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Thani Thongpakdee said the Ministry had now received a letter from the United States government through its Embassy in Bangkok requesting to withdraw the charges in another case concerning money laundering and wire fraud, which has been accepted by the Court of First Instance.
The request would be forwarded to the Office of the Attorney General for further action but Mr Thani could not say how long the process would take to complete as it depended on the Court's decision.
Mr Bout is in solitary confinement at Bangkwang Central Prison amid tight security with closed-circuit camera surveillance. A special 20-strong contingent of prison guards are assigned to the high-profile prisoner.
The Thai Court of Appeals last week ruled that Mr Bout, dubbed the Merchant of Death, must be extradited within three months, or else be permitted to go free. It overturned a lower court ruling in August 2009 that rejected a US request that Mr Bout face trial there.
Mr Bout, a 43-year-old former Soviet air force officer, has denied any involvement in illicit activities including arms trafficking to conflict zones in Africa, South America and the Middle East. He claimed he ran a legitimate business.
His arrest at a Bangkok luxury hotel in March 2008 was part of an elaborate sting in which US agents posed as arms buyers for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, which the US government classifies as a terrorist organisation.
Mr Bout was subsequently indicted in the US on four terrorism-related charges that include conspiring to sell millions of dollars worth of weapons to FARC.
The US indictment also charged Mr Bout with conspiring to kill Americans, conspiring to kill US officials or employees, and conspiring to acquire and use anti-aircraft missiles and conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization. He could face a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted. (MCOT online news, agencies)
Mr Abhisit stressed that the government considered the national interest as the most important matter.
The premier's comment came after the United States had reportedly sent a jet aircraft with air marshals to Bangkok, waiting to take Mr Bout to fact trial in the United States.
Mr Abhsiit said sending the plane to wait at the airport could not put pressure on Thailand and that the United States should not push the kingdom to accelerate the process as the procedures must be done step by step in accordance with detailed legal procedures.
Thailand had to bear in mind its bilateral ties as Mr Bout was wanted by both Russia and the United States, he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Director-General of the Information Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Thani Thongpakdee said the Ministry had now received a letter from the United States government through its Embassy in Bangkok requesting to withdraw the charges in another case concerning money laundering and wire fraud, which has been accepted by the Court of First Instance.
The request would be forwarded to the Office of the Attorney General for further action but Mr Thani could not say how long the process would take to complete as it depended on the Court's decision.
Mr Bout is in solitary confinement at Bangkwang Central Prison amid tight security with closed-circuit camera surveillance. A special 20-strong contingent of prison guards are assigned to the high-profile prisoner.
The Thai Court of Appeals last week ruled that Mr Bout, dubbed the Merchant of Death, must be extradited within three months, or else be permitted to go free. It overturned a lower court ruling in August 2009 that rejected a US request that Mr Bout face trial there.
Mr Bout, a 43-year-old former Soviet air force officer, has denied any involvement in illicit activities including arms trafficking to conflict zones in Africa, South America and the Middle East. He claimed he ran a legitimate business.
His arrest at a Bangkok luxury hotel in March 2008 was part of an elaborate sting in which US agents posed as arms buyers for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, which the US government classifies as a terrorist organisation.
Mr Bout was subsequently indicted in the US on four terrorism-related charges that include conspiring to sell millions of dollars worth of weapons to FARC.
The US indictment also charged Mr Bout with conspiring to kill Americans, conspiring to kill US officials or employees, and conspiring to acquire and use anti-aircraft missiles and conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization. He could face a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted. (MCOT online news, agencies)
