Thai court postpones verdict against ousted premier Thaksin, wife on land case

BANGKOK, Sept 17 (TNA) -- Thailand's Supreme Court Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions on Wednesday postponed its verdict on ousted fugitive prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife Pojaman on purchasing a plot of prime Bangkok land which violated the country's Constitution, and determined to issue new arrest warrants for the couple.

Chief Justice Thonglor Chom-ngarm told the court that the two defendants had failed to appear in court to hear the verdict and the court, therefore, must issue arrest warrants for the couple so that they could be present to hear the verdict read at at a later date.

The judges unanimously acted to postpone the reading of the verdict until October 21 at 2 pm.

The National Police Bureau will have to seek the couple, now living in
Britain, but Thailand will not seek extradition because the litigation
could last 20 years.

The ex-prime minister and his wife by-passed Bangkok, instead jumping bail and fleeing to Britain directly from Beijing after attending the opening ceremony of Olympic Games in early August.

The couple were charged with purchasing the property at the questionably low price of Bt772 million from the Bank of Thailand's Financial Institutions Development Fund (FIDF) in 2003 while he was in office, which was against the Constitution.

Ousted in a Sept 19, 2006 military bloodless coup for alleged corruption and abuse of power, Mr. Thaksin and his wife have denied any wrongdoing.