The Supreme Court on Wednesday postponed the reading of its verdict in the trial of a police major-general accused of dereliction of duty until June 25.
Prosecutors on June 27, 2007, indicted Pol Maj Gen Thanayut Wuthicharasdamrong, now commander of the General Staff Division of the Office of Forensic Science, accusing him of dereliction of duty in violation of Section 157 of the Criminal Code.
The alleged offence took place on Aug 21, 2006, when the defendant was chief investigator of Metropolitan Police Division 1.
On that day, three men - Charan Chong-on, Chaisit Lohma and Sumeth Boonyarattaphan - attacked and beat up Rithirong Likitprasertkul and Wichai Uapiyaphan, supporters of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), who were hurling abuse at then-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra at a function at the Central World Plaza in Pathumwan area.
Pol Maj Gen Thanayut was present at the function did not take or order any legal action against the three assailants, the state prosecutors charged.
The Criminal Court on May 23, 2008 sentenced Pol Maj Gen Thanayut to two years in prison and a fine of 10,000 baht. The jail term was suspended for two years.
The sentenced was upheld by the Appeals Court. The prosecutors appealed to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court set today for the reading of its ruling, but the defendant did not show up.
He sent a lawyer to submit a request for the postponement of the reading, saying he had an official engagement elsewhere.
The court approved the request and rescheduled the reading of the appeal decision to June 25.