The Southern Bangkok Criminal Court has scheduled to read its findings from the inquest into three civilian deaths in the 2010 clashes between red-shirt protesters and government troops on April 30 next year.
Phra Suthep Thaugsuban, former deputy prime minister under the Abhisit Vejjajiva administration, testified yesterday via a video from Surat Thani Court.
He was the last witness to testify at the inquest.
During the crackdown on anti-government protesters on April 10, 2010, a Japanese cameraman, Hiroyuki Muramoto, who worked for Reuters and two other civilians, Wasant Phuthong and Tossachai Mekngamfah, were killed in front of Satreewithaya School on Din So Road.
Phra Suthep entered the monkhood some six months ago after the May 22 military coup and resides at Suan Mok Temple in the southern province.
Sunanta Preechanat, Tossachai's elder sister, said at the end of the hearing that she looks forward to the findings after waiting more than five years.
Phra Suthep initially refused to testify in October, saying that he had already testified to the Ratchadaphisek Court about the six deaths at Wat Pathum Wanaram.
However, relatives of the three civilians insisted he was the main witness in the case and should give his account.
Phra Suthep explained to the court how the situation had become tense and turbulent. He said members of the United Front For Democracy Against Dictatorship stepped up issuing anti-government propaganda and armed operations in 2009, before the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) ordered a dispersal operation on Rajadamnoen Avenue.
Invoking the emergency law, Mr Abhisit, then the prime minister, had transferred all his power and that of the cabinet to him, Phra Suthep told the court.
The monk said he was in the command room with other CRES directors but not the prime minister. Mr Abhisit would briefly visit and check on the situation now and then.
He also conceded that he had authorised troops to drop tear gas on protesters from a helicopter which was originally assigned to drop leaflets carrying messages for the demonstrators to leave.
Phra Suthep, who then headed the CRES, insisted that he had not ordered the use of weapons in the dispersal operation.
He signed an order for troops to use weapons at 8.30pm after a group of armed men dressed in black attacked soldiers about 8pm, killing five officers, he said.
Phra Suthep said about 800 soldiers including a major-general were also wounded in the clash with the protesters. He said he did not know how many bullets were used that day.
"The April 10 incidents developed very fast and I was in the room but I could not tell how and who was doing what. But I'm sure that the military didn't target the people. And we never gave any order to harm the people," he said.