ความคิดเห็นที่ 48
 
The Associated Press
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
MANCHESTER, England: Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said Tuesday his conviction by a Thai court on a corruption charge is politically motivated because it was plotted by those who led the 2006 coup that ousted him.
A court in Bangkok on Tuesday found Thaksin guilty of a corruption charge and sentenced him to two years in prison, adding a new twist to the countrys paralyzing political crisis.
It was expected, it wasnt a surprise and there will be more (charges) to come, Thaksin told The Associated Press by telephone from his home near London.
The guilty verdict was the first against the countrys former leader since he was ousted by a military coup after being accused of corruption and abuse of power during his 2001-2006 tenure.
Billionaire Thaksin jumped bail and fled to Britain while the corruption charges were pending. He has repeatedly proclaimed his innocence.
Im a politician and after I was toppled by the coup its normal that they will try every means to justify it, he said.
Thaksin said he would expose the flaws of the court by distributing translations of testimony from the case to the international community.
They dont use the rule of the law as evidence, they follow the politics, he said. They try to use the court to manage politics. I think the British people and the world understand that isnt democracy.
The charges stemmed from Thaksin enabling his wife Pojaman Shinawatra to pay 772 million baht (US$23 million at current exchange rates) in 2003 to buy a 13.2-acre (5.3-hectare) plot in central Bangkok from the Financial Institutions Development Fund, a government agency set up to bail out debt-ridden banks.
Pojaman, 51, was acquitted by the court Tuesday.
Im very happy for her, but my wife has done nothing wrong and is not a politician, said Thaksin, 59. This court is for politicians — its not a normal court.
Despite the allegations against him, Thaksin remains the most influential politician in Thailand, with an especially strong support base in the countryside.
His brother-in-law, Somchai Wongsawat, is the current prime minister, but Thai politics have been paralyzed since protesters seeking to oust the government occupied Government House on Aug. 26 and began staging militant street demonstrations.
Thaksin appealed for unity in his divided nation.
Thai democracy is at the crossroads, Thaksin said. I would like to urge everyone concerned to give freedom to the Thai people to exercise democratic power. Dont think that they are less educated, they are poor — I think they have better understanding of democracy than many who have had better education.
A prosecutor said Tuesday the Thai attorney-generals office would speed up efforts to extradite Thaksin from Britain. Thai authorities have yet to file a formal extradition request.
Thaksin said he was confident he would be able to remain in Britain despite a new arrest warrant issued against him Tuesday by the Bangkok court. He already has several warrants out for him in other corruption cases.
I think I can stay here because this is very mature democratic country, Thaksin said. There is no way I will be extradited because the (Thai) court is a political court.
The former telecommunications tycoon said he now hopes to become a prominent businessman in the U.K., possibly in the energy business.
Thaksin compared his plight with English Premier League soccer team Manchester City, which he sold last month to Abu Dhabi investors. City came back from a deficit Monday night to tie 2-2 against Newcastle United.
Its important to keep a fighting spirit, he said.
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