Thai prosecutors decided to formally charge former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a royal defamation case, creating a new legal risk for the head of the political dynasty that controls the country’s ruling party.
Prosecutors said they have enough evidence to charge the 74-year-old former leader under the country’s lese majeste law, which shields the country’s royal family from criticism. Thaksin will have to be physically present to hear the charges, Prayut Bejraguna, a spokesman for the attorney general’s office, told a news conference.
Thaksin, whose lawyer submitted a medical certificate proving he was infected with COVID-19, was ordered to appear before the prosecutor on June 18 to be arraigned in court, Prayut said. He will be eligible for bail pending trial, Prayut said.
