Will Interpol act?

[Sporty]

 

 

Will Interpol act?

By THE NATION

Published on May 27, 2010

 

 

Getting assistance from Interpol to bring fugitive former-PM Thaksin Shinawatra back to face justice in his homeland was no easy task, Thai police said yesterday.

They said their counterparts in member countries of the international police network may not act on the terrorism charge against the ousted prime minister if they feel it was politically motivated.

 

Thai police failed in previous attempts to have Thaksin placed on Interpol's wanted list despite a top court sentencing him to two years jail over the Ratchadaphisek land deal.

 

Interpol considered the case to be politically motivated, said Police Maj-General Therdsak Rujirawong, commander of the Royal Thai Police's International Affairs Division.

 

The Criminal Court yesterday issued a warrant for Thaksin on a terrorism charge following claims he masterminded rioting and arson attacks during and after the red shirts' bloody protest.

 

Thaksin, in self-imposed exile abroad, is wanted in Bangkok in connection with many cases of corruption and abuse of power after a military coup toppled him from the premiership on September 19, 2006. This latest charge of terrorism is the fifth warrant for his arrest.

 

Department of Special Investigation (DSI) chief Tharit Pengdit has overseen the terrorism case against Thaksin. He said he would seek cooperation from the police in submitting the latest charge to Interpol.

 

The DSI will use the agency to try to get the fugitive ex-PM extradited from any foreign country he lives in, he said. In countries that have no extradition treaty with Thailand, the DSI will seek assistance from Interpol to bring Thaksin back to face justice here.

 

Interpol offers some hope for the Thai government to nab Thaksin after it failed many times to do this since his political party lost power in December 2008.

 

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), where Thaksin has spent most of his time in exile, has no extradition treaty with Thailand, and the practice of reciprocity in exchanging Thaksin for another suspect wanted by the UAE has yet to work either.

 

Cambodia, where Thaksin is an adviser to the government, also rejected a Thai extradition request when he visited Phnom Penh last year.

 

The fact Thaksin now holds Montenegrin citizenship and constantly travels makes an extradition request more complicated. Tharit said the government had sought Thaksin's extradition on the grounds he was a Thai national.

 

Interpol is an international police organisation created in 1923 to facilitate cross-border police cooperation and assist other organisations, authorities and services. Its mission is to prevent and combat international crime.

 

Thailand is among 188 member countries of Interpol and has played an active role in helping its foreign counterparts solve many criminal cases.

 

Thai authorities have so far put two suspects facing arrest warrants from a Thai court on Interpol's wanted list, as seen on the agency's official website.

 

The Nation yesterday searched Interpol's website for a Thai fugitive named Thaksin Shinawatra, but none was listed - just yet.

 

Therdsak explained that Thaksin's arrest warrant for corruption could not be placed on Interpol's wanted or notice list, because the organisation did not intervene in domestic political affairs.

 

In fact, corruption is not on Interpol's list of offences, which range from abducted girls to war crimes.

 

Interpol recognises terrorism charges, but member countries' definitions of a "terrorist act" differ, Therdsak said.

 

The police would submit Thaksin's arrest warrant to Interpol once they received full official documents from the court, he said.

 

"Of course we'll send the warrant to the Paris headquarters, but we can only wait for Interpol's decision about whether to include the fugitive on any lists," Therdsak said.

 

Once Interpol accepts a warrant, it enters the fugitive's name and profile into its computer system for distribution to member countries, so they can help watch for and arrest him, he said.

 

 

[chuckwoww]

Good find and very timely. Here at the think tank we have several teams working on this very question.

 

"Interpol considered the case to be politically motivated, said Police Maj-General Therdsak Rujirawong, commander of the Royal Thai Police's International Affairs Division."

 

But who is Therdsak working for?

[Sporty]

Good find and very timely. Here at the think tank we have several teams working on this very question.

 

"Interpol considered the case to be politically motivated, said Police Maj-General Therdsak Rujirawong, commander of the Royal Thai Police's International Affairs Division."

 

But who is Therdsak working for?

 

On the most important, fugative in possibly, all of Thai History, on a charge of Terrorism, I can not see Interpol saying NO.

 

OR, maybe a whisper, of an offer they can not refuse is in order.

[chuckwoww]

They do not seem to be falling over themselves to take the case. Perhaps they are consulting with their diplomatic advisers. And that bit about 'political motivations' offers them an easy out. We shall see.

 

http://www.interpol.int/public/icpo/default.asp

[chuckwoww]

But Mr Thaksin does not believe the arrest warrant has any foundation.

 

"Interpol have their own criteria to judge," he told ABC Television in what is billed as a world-first interview.

"That is, it should not be politically motivated and there is no grounds.

 

"Interpol always find out that the information that the Thai government gave it is unreliable and is politically motivated."

 

http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/thaksin-arrest-warrant-political/story-e6frfku0-1225871816314

[chuckwoww]

OK that's two more articles about the terrible T. I thought this thread was about Interpol.

[Sporty]

[color:red]Thaksin is now reported to be based in Montenegro and says Interpol will not act on a politically motivated warrant for his arrest on terrorism charges.[/color]

Reports on Tuesday said Thaksin was in the seaside resort of Budva, in Montenegro, where he has obtained citizenship.

 

Veselin Veljovic, chief of the Montenegrin police, said Montenegro would "act according to the law" if the extradition request was made.

 

The local laws state that Montenegro cannot extradite its nationals to foreign countries unless they are wanted for serious offences such as war crimes and crimes against humanity.

 

[color:red]Twekiat Menakanist, a law expert at Thammasat University, said terrorism charges would make it easy for authorities to return Thaksin to stand trial here as terrorism was an international crime.[/color]

 

 

[color:red]{ MORE }[/color]

 

 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/27/2910572.htm?section=justin

[bust]

Agree...flogging a dead horse.

What proof is there he was directly involved in terrorism?

[Hugh_Hoy]

I'm just curious as to when corruption and abuse of power became illegal in the LOS. (Or any country for that matter.)

 

H

[Flashermac]

Agree...flogging a dead horse.

What proof is there he was directly involved in terrorism?

 

 

About as much as there is against Osama.