The Bangkok Military Court on Monday approved a police request to detain a lese majeste suspect in connection with the Rajabhakti Park scandal for 12 days for further inquiries.
The suspect, Thanakorn Siriphaibun, 27, had been arrested and detained by the military for seven days on the order of the junta's National Council for Peace and Order for sharing a diagram over Facebook detailing an alleged web of corruption in the Rajabhakti Park scandal.
He was taken from the temporary prison at the 11th Army Circle to the Crime Suppression Division on Monday morning before being escorted to the Bangkok Military Court where police sought permission to detain him for the first 12-day period pending further investigation.
The court approved the police request. Mr Thanakorn was then taken back to the 11th Army Circle's temporary prison.
Sources said while at the court Mr Thanakorn recorded a confession on a video clip about six minutes long, saying that he posted on the social media the infographic of an alleged "corruption chart" -- which implicates many people in the alleged irregularities which have plagued the construction of Rajabhakti Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Hua Hin district -- with an intention to provoke and attack the government.
In the video clip, he reportedly asked other people not to follow suit.
During the court proceedings, about 10 members of the New Democracy Movement led by Rangsiman Rome gathered outside and read out a statement criticising the NCPO's bringing of charges against people investigating the Rajabhakti scandal under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, the lese majeste law.
On Sunday, it was revealed that another lese majeste suspect in the same case had been arrested and detained at the 11th Military Circle temporary prison. He was identified as Thanet Anantawong, 25.
