| |
BANGKOK - Ousted Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will not appeal his conviction and two-year jail sentence for corruption, his lawyer said Tuesday as the deadline passed for any legal action.
Thaksin, toppled in a military coup in 2006, was on October 21 sentenced in absentia to two years in jail for conflict of interest after helping his then-wife Pojaman buy state-owned land when he was premier.
"I have been informed today that Thaksin will not appeal his case, and that he will explain his reasons to his supporters soon," said Kamnuan Chalopatham, a member of Thaksin's legal team in Thailand.
His lawyers had 30 days from the conviction to appeal to the Supreme Court.
Thaksin is currently staying in Dubai, his aide said Monday, after fleeing Thailand in August as corruption cases initiated by the military junta that overthrew him mounted up in the courts.
He had been living in Britain, but London this month revoked his visa, leaving the multi-millionaire scrambling around for a new home.
The ousted leader is due to address his supporters in a telephone speech on December 14 to lay out his future plans, his allies have said. The rally will be the second such gathering, the first was on November 1.
"Thaksin will talk to his supporters at National Stadium and will declare his political comeback," said Jatuporm Prompan, a leader of the pro-Thaksin group. "He will re-enter politics after he was ousted in the 2006 coup."
Thaksin's fortunes appeared to get bleaker when it was announced last week that he and his wife of 32 years were getting a divorce, although family and intelligence sources claimed the split was for financial or legal reasons.
Thaksin's shadow remains over Thai politics, with his detractors in the People's Alliance for Democracy still holding disruptive protests in central Bangkok against the current government, which is made up of Thaksin's allies.
- AFP/ir
|
