Former prime minister Somchai Wongsawat says he's confident he will be cleared of negligence in the fatal breakup of a 2008 yellow-shirt protest when the Supreme Court rules on his case on Aug 2.
He made the comment on Friday after making a final statement in his trial before the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political-Office Holders. Speaking outside the courthouse, he said he trusted in the judicial process and would await the court's decision with confidence that he would be found not guilty.
Mr Somchai, a brother-in-law of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, was accused by the National Anti-Corruption Commission of dereliction of duty and corruption by ordering police to use force to disperse People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protesters outside Parliament on Oct 7, 2008.
His three co-accused are Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, then a deputy prime minister in the short-lived Somchai administration; then-national police chief Patcharawat Wongsuwon -- a brother of the current Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon -- and Pol Lt Gen Suchart Mueankaew, who was the Metropolitan Police Bureau commissioner at the time.
Yellow-shirt demonstrators started converging at the entrance to Parliament on the evening of Oct 6, 2008 to prevent Mr Somchai from going inside to announce his government's policy the following day, after the People Power Party, a reincarnation of Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai, won the general election.
He managed to enter the legislature on Oct 7 but could not come out because of the blockade.
He and his cabinet ministers finally decided to crawl through the fence and fled the area through the grounds of Vimanmek Palace.
Police later used tear gas to end the protest, resulting in two deaths and 471 injuries.
In his final defence statement, the former prime minister said he had no direct authority to direct the police force and added that the two deaths were not due to the tear gas used by authorities.
Mr Somchai also submitted a 20-page paper to substantiate his defence.
The court said the other defendants had until July 20 to submit documents and statements to back their claims.