Thai police forward anti-Thaksin PAD accusations to Corruption Commission

March 28, 2006

An attempt to have the Thai police bring charges against current caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has resulted in the police forwarding the allegations brought by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) to the National Counter-Corruption Commission (NCCC). The accusations centre around the attempted privatisation of EGAT, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand. The privatisation process was derailed last week with the ruling issued by the country's Supreme Administrative court. They struck down two royal decrees that had been written to allow listing the utility company on the Stock Exchange of Thailand.

Sondhi Limthongkul, one of the main representatives of the PAD, delivered the complaint to police secretary Maj-Gen Prawut Thavornsiri on Monday. According to the Thai News Agency, the accusation that the legislation attempting to privatise EGAT was an act of malfeasance has been forwarded to the NCCC by the police.

With PAD protesters using every tactic they can think of to remove the caretaker PM ahead of this Sunday's election, the street demonstrations that have characterised the protests since before the announcement of the snap election have moved. Now focussing on the business areas of Bangkok, today's protest centred on Siam Paragon, an up-market retail complex where protesters sought to bring their anti-Thaksin message to shoppers.