October 24th, 2008, 02:46
The Economist's perspective -
Prosecutors will seek Mr ThaksinтАЩs extradition but their chances of success are slender. BritainтАЩs courts would first have to be satisfied that he had committed a crime under both British and Thai law. His wife put in the highest of three sealed bids for the piece of land. Mr Thaksin was convicted only of breaching an anti-corruption law that bans officialsтАЩ spouses from doing business with state agenciesтАФand only by a 5-4 majority among the nine judges. Oddly, his wife was not convicted.
Britain also bars extradition if the defendantтАЩs trial back home might be politically prejudiced, as Mr Thaksin is already claimingтАФall he would have to do is raise some reasonable doubts. The Thai prosecutors and courts do seem to be fast-tracking cases against him and his allies while soft-pedalling on allegations against his foes. Treason charges against the PADтАЩs leaders were softened, and they were bailed and continued occupying Government House, to the amazement of foreign diplomats and businessmen. Ironically, one case that raises questions about the courtsтАЩ susceptibility to pressure saw Mr Thaksin, then prime minister, cleared in 2001 of concealing his assets.
http://www.economist.com/world/asia/dis ... d=12470539 (http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12470539)
Prosecutors will seek Mr ThaksinтАЩs extradition but their chances of success are slender. BritainтАЩs courts would first have to be satisfied that he had committed a crime under both British and Thai law. His wife put in the highest of three sealed bids for the piece of land. Mr Thaksin was convicted only of breaching an anti-corruption law that bans officialsтАЩ spouses from doing business with state agenciesтАФand only by a 5-4 majority among the nine judges. Oddly, his wife was not convicted.
Britain also bars extradition if the defendantтАЩs trial back home might be politically prejudiced, as Mr Thaksin is already claimingтАФall he would have to do is raise some reasonable doubts. The Thai prosecutors and courts do seem to be fast-tracking cases against him and his allies while soft-pedalling on allegations against his foes. Treason charges against the PADтАЩs leaders were softened, and they were bailed and continued occupying Government House, to the amazement of foreign diplomats and businessmen. Ironically, one case that raises questions about the courtsтАЩ susceptibility to pressure saw Mr Thaksin, then prime minister, cleared in 2001 of concealing his assets.
http://www.economist.com/world/asia/dis ... d=12470539 (http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12470539)