Deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will be arrested if and when he returns to Thailand, a senior public prosecutor said yesterday.
Samphan Sarathana, the state prosecution's foreign affairs director, said Mr Thaksin will be prosecuted in a court of law, even if the People Power party (PPP), whose members are loyal to the deposed prime minister, heads the next government.
Mr Thaksin will be arrested the moment he lands at Suvarnabhumi airport because of a standing arrest warrant against him, Mr Samphan said.
The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions issued arrest warrants for Mr Thaksin and his wife Khunying Potjaman in August this year after the couple failed to appear for the first hearing in the 772-million-baht Ratchadaphisek land purchase case.
He has not returned to Thailand since the military staged a coup on Sept 19, 2006, and launched corruption investigations against him and his government.
Mr Thaksin is accused of using his authority as prime minister to influence the purchase of a 33-rai block of land by his wife from the Financial Institutions Development Fund in 2003.
Mr Thaksin said in Hong Kong after the Dec 23 election that he planned to return to Thailand early next year, some time between February and April.
Mr Thaksin's lawyer, Noppadol Pattama, said his boss did not consider the arrest warrant as a factor in deciding whether to return to Thailand. Although he faces arrest, he is confident he will be freed on bail with the help of his lawyers.
Udom Fuangfung, an ASC member and former senior Criminal Court judge, was sceptical of Mr Thaksin's plans to return. He pointed out Mr Thaksin's lawyers were preparing to ask the Constitution Court to examine the legitimacy of the ASC. The request to the Constitution Court could be used as a condition for Mr Thaksin's return, or even as an excuse for him not to return, he said.
He added that the fact Mr Thaksin's lawyers were seeking a ruling from the Constitution Court did not affect the ASC and the committee was looking forward to seeing if Mr Thaksin would return to fight his corruption case in a straightforward manner.
He confirmed that Mr Thaksin and his wife would be arrested on arrival in Thailand because both have arrest warrants issued for them.
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Samphan Sarathana, the state prosecution's foreign affairs director, said Mr Thaksin will be prosecuted in a court of law, even if the People Power party (PPP), whose members are loyal to the deposed prime minister, heads the next government.
Mr Thaksin will be arrested the moment he lands at Suvarnabhumi airport because of a standing arrest warrant against him, Mr Samphan said.
The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions issued arrest warrants for Mr Thaksin and his wife Khunying Potjaman in August this year after the couple failed to appear for the first hearing in the 772-million-baht Ratchadaphisek land purchase case.
He has not returned to Thailand since the military staged a coup on Sept 19, 2006, and launched corruption investigations against him and his government.
Mr Thaksin is accused of using his authority as prime minister to influence the purchase of a 33-rai block of land by his wife from the Financial Institutions Development Fund in 2003.
Mr Thaksin said in Hong Kong after the Dec 23 election that he planned to return to Thailand early next year, some time between February and April.
Mr Thaksin's lawyer, Noppadol Pattama, said his boss did not consider the arrest warrant as a factor in deciding whether to return to Thailand. Although he faces arrest, he is confident he will be freed on bail with the help of his lawyers.
Udom Fuangfung, an ASC member and former senior Criminal Court judge, was sceptical of Mr Thaksin's plans to return. He pointed out Mr Thaksin's lawyers were preparing to ask the Constitution Court to examine the legitimacy of the ASC. The request to the Constitution Court could be used as a condition for Mr Thaksin's return, or even as an excuse for him not to return, he said.
He added that the fact Mr Thaksin's lawyers were seeking a ruling from the Constitution Court did not affect the ASC and the committee was looking forward to seeing if Mr Thaksin would return to fight his corruption case in a straightforward manner.
He confirmed that Mr Thaksin and his wife would be arrested on arrival in Thailand because both have arrest warrants issued for them.
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