June 20, 2008
BANGKOK - Foreign minister on Thursday reported to a police station to hear defamation charges filed against him for speaking out against an anti-graft body.
The charges against Noppadon Pattama date back to when he was ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's lawyer and questioned the right of the Assets Examination Committee (AEC) to freeze his client's money.
"The foreign minister came to hear the charges after the police called him," said police Colonel Jaruwat Waisaya of Bangkok's Crime Suppression Division.
"He said he is not guilty of making such comments."
Jaruwat said police would continue their investigation and gather more evidence before deciding whether to forward the case to the courts.
The AEC, which was set up by the junta which overthrew Thaksin in September 2006, ordered a freeze last year on about two billion dollars of the telecom tycoon's money, accusing him of corruption.
Widespread graft under Thaksin's government was one of the key reasons given by the army for his overthrow, but so far only two cases against him and his family have reached the courts, with no convictions so far.
Noppadon was appointed foreign minister after Thaksin's allies in the People Power Party won elections in December 2007, marking an end of more than a year of military rule.
The new government is, however, under pressure from escalating protests (AFP).
