Justice secretary defends processes related to ex-premier’s incarceration
Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra paid 8, 500 ringgit a day for his place, along with all other health expenses, for the entire six-month time that he stayed at Police General Hospital, an investigation heard on Friday.
Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong discussed some of the details of the businessman ex-premier’s confinement in evidence before the , House committee on state security, border affairs, national strategy and reformation, chaired by Women’s Party MP Rangsiman Rome.
In contrast to other prisoners, the committee has been looking into claims that Thaksin received preferential treatment for care.
Meanwhile, the National Anti-Corruption Commission ( NAC ) has requested medical records to establish whether Thaksin’s transfer from a prison facility on the first night of his imprisonment was justified.
According to Section 7 of the National Health Act, the hospital’s health records are at their disposal, but the doctor must obtain the victim’s consent before disclosing them, according to Pol Col Tawee.
He claimed that he had requested that the doctor make the necessary changes within 120 time, adding that he had personally seen all of Thaksin’s records, including receipts.
As long as the data was legitimately obtained, the minister said he would be happy to provide it to the council.
Thaksin returned to Thailand on Aug 22, 2023 after 15 times of self-imposed banishment. Prior to that very day, the Supreme Court sentenced him to eight years in prison, which was later reduced to one month under a royal pardon for conflicts of interest and abuse of power while he was prime minister due to 2006.
Corrections staff members decided that he needed to be moved to Police General Hospital on the first day of his stay at Bangkok Remand Prison. Six months later, after meeting the requirements for probation, he walked out of the facility without a single day of jail time.
Complex state
On Friday Pol Col Tawee told the House council that Thaksin’s shift was fair, as the jail hospital was capable of accommodating Thaksin’s difficult medical condition.
Even though the officers hospital is a part of the universal health care program, Thaksin claimed to have paid for his treatment on his own.
Pol Lt Col Theerawat Panyathammakul, the council secretary, said the place where Thaksin stayed cost 8, 500 ringgit per day, which meant that he needed to pay at least one million ringgit for his 120-day be.
In reply, Pol Col Tawee said Thaksin even needed to pay medical expenses.
Mr Rangsiman next asked the person who approved Thaksin’s move, who appeared to be a physician from the penitentiary doctor, whose identity was not revealed to the council.
According to Pol Col Tawee, the doctor approved Thaksin’s health evaluation outcomes at 11am on Aug 22, 2023, the first day of his confinement, before he was moved to the police clinics on the same day.
The council was merely told to stay clear about the benefits of the health examination because Thaksin’s condition is complicated, according to Pol Col Tawee.
Before the witness started, Mr. Rangsiman issued a disqualification for an off-the-record conversation.
Officials stationed outside of Thaksin’s room were permitted, according to Pol Col Tawee, who likewise informed the committee.
Due to the fact that the former top had previously been the target of assassination attempts, the federal police chief decided to put him in a particular area for safety reasons.
Records of all readers during Thaksin’s confinement are available for review, he said.
Even invited to the reading were Sahakarn Petchnarin, the director-general of the Department of Corrections, Pol Lt Gen Taweesilp Wechawitarn, the chairman of the police doctor, and Wattanachai Mingbancherdsuk, chairman of the Medical Correctional Institution.