March 25, 2008
BANGKOK - PM’s Office Minister Jakrapob Penkair faced criminal charges of insulting HM’s the King filed against him, a police officer said Tuesday.
Jakrapob is accused of slighting the royal family during a talk at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand last August.
If convicted of the serious lese majeste charge, he could face 15 years in jail.
Police Lieutenant Chatuporn Ngarmsuvichakun told AFP that another officer filed the complaint against Jakrapob -- a close ally of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra -- and supplied a video and transcript of the event.
"Police will do more investigations before taking any action because this case is sensitive," he said.
Chatuporn did not reveal what the alleged comment against the monarchy was. Under Thai law, repeating the slight is also considered to be lese majeste.
Jakrapob, who was a government spokesman under Thaksin, organised street demonstrations against the 2006 coup which ousted the divisive prime minister.
Lese majeste is strictly enforced in Thailand. A Swiss man was sentenced to 10 years in prison in March for vandalising portraits of the king, but he received a royal pardon two weeks later and was deported.
