PUBLISHED : 19 Dec 2023 at 15:54
Social activist Srisuwan Janya on Tuesday filed a petition with the Administrative Court accusing four high-level officials of abuse of power in providing special privileges for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Named in the petition are the director-general of the Department of Corrections, the commander of Bangkok Remand Prison, the director of the Medical Correctional Institution and the director of Police General Hospital.
Mr Srisuwan, as leader of the Patriotic People Organisation, accused the four officials of abuse of power in giving Thaksin the privilege of receiving treatment in a luxury facility at Police General Hospital in violation of laws and regulations.
The persistent petitioner said Thaksin returned to the country to serve a prison term 17 years after being sentenced. However, upon his return, the four officials had misused their power and moved Thaksin out of the Bangkok Remand Prison to get medical treatment at the Police General Hospital, where he has now stayed for nearly 120 days.
Thursday will mark 120 days since Thaksin was transferred to the hospital. By law, the minister of justice must personally approve any stay exceeding 120 days by an inmate receiving medical treatment outside a prison hospital.
Section 55 of the Corrections Act of 2017 stipulated clearly that in order for an inmate to be moved out of a prison for medical treatment they must have a serious mental health problem or have been infected by a communicable disease, accordng to Mr Srisuwan.
In Thaksin’s case, the statements issued by the Department of Corrections and by doctors did not match these conditions. Only a court could decide whether or not the admission of Thaksin to the Police General Hospital was legal, Mr Srisuwan said.
A regulation issued by the Department of Corrections on Dec 7 was clear evidence of collaboration to enable Thaksin to not stay in prison for even a single day. Prison overcrowding was cited as a reason for the department to issue this regulation, even though 99% of the prisoners were drug convicts and not entitled to benefit from the regulation, he said.
The regulation was obviously aimed at moving Thaksin from the hospital to serve his sentence in his own residence, according to Mr Srisuwan.
Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong has defended the regulation, saying it was in line with international practices.
Mr Srisuwan said the Patriotic People Organisation had, in its petition, asked the Administrative Court to investigate and order the revocation of the Corrections Department’s order moving Thaksin from prison to the Police General Hospital.
The Administrative Court was also asked to hold an emergency hearing and issue an injunction against the Corrections Department’s regulation issued on Dec 7, he added.
During the Senate meeting on Tuesday, senator Jate Sirataranond, a doctor, directed a question to MrTawee, the director-general of the Department of Corrections, the permanent secretary for justice, the director of the Police General Hospital and the Royal Police Office about the legality of the regulation allowing convicts to be detained outside prisons.
He said Thaksin stood to benefit most from the regulation.