The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) will decide tomorrow whether to allow the requested adjournment of the date for 19 red-shirt core leaders to acknowledge their lèse majesté charges.
DSI chief Tharit Pengdit disclosed that investigative officials handling the lèse majesté case today received a document from a lawyer of the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), asking for a deferral of the date for his clients to receive their charges. There are totally 19 UDD core leaders alleged of making offensive statements against the monarchy, including the now detained Jatuporn Prompan, and the DSI initially scheduled their surrender on 7 July.
Due to severe punishments in the case and its complexity, the lawyer claimed that more time was needed for gathering evidence to verify the innocence of the 19 core leaders. Mr Tharit indicated a possibility for the date to be put off, citing that the suspects had no tendency to escape; however, the decision would be made by the investigative panel tomorrow at 9.00 hrs.
In addition, the DSI chief revealed that two weeks before the general election the department was contacted by a lawyer of UDD core leader and terrorism fugitive Arisman Pongruangrong about his client’s surrender. He said if Mr Arisman did turn himself in as claimed by the lawyer, the DSI would send him to the Court for legal proceeding immediately and whether he would be granted bail or not would be up to the judges.
BANGKOK, 5 July 2011 (NNT) – Reporter : Surapan Laotharanarit
News Date : 05 July 2011
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