The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions yesterday issued a new arrest warrant for ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra over his role in the 2003 Thai Petrochemical Industry (TPI) scandal.
He is accused of malfeasance over his approval of a Finance Ministry proposal for it to manage a TPI rehabilitation plan in 2003.
Thaksin allegedly committed malfeasance when he endorsed the ministry's proposal, knowing that the ministry had no authority to serve as an administrator or manage the assets of a private company.
The arrest warrant was issued because the ex-premier failed to show up yesterday at the first court hearing in the TPI case.
Earlier this week, a similar arrest warrant was issued by the same court for him to stand trial in the Krungthai Bank (KTB) loan scandal case, again for failing to appear for the first hearing.
In lawsuit in the TPI case was filed with the court on May 7, eight years after the NACC accused Thaksin of malfeasance.
The case was shelved when he fled the country in August 2008 but subsequently revived following the enactment of a new law on criminal procedures for political office-holders that took effect on Sept 29 last year.
The court has also resolved to shorten to only one month a three-month period allowed for law enforcement authorities to hunt Thaksin down and bring him to stand trial in the case.
If he cannot be brought to trial within the allotted time, the trial can proceed in his absence as allowed under Section 28 of the constitution's organic law on court procedures in cases involving holders of political positions. According to the court, the fugitive former premier has the right to appoint a lawyer to act on his behalf.
The TPI went bankrupt soon after the 1997 economic crisis and entered a court-ordered rehabilitation scheme.
Former finance minister Suchart Jaovisidha was also implicated but the charge against him was dropped because he had already passed away.
The TPI case is the seventh lodged against the former prime minister after he was ousted from power in a 2006 coup. He now lives in self-imposed exile overseas and has not returned to answer the charges.
According to the lawsuit the Finance Ministry had no authority to act as an administrator of a rehabilitation plan under a 2001 law on the reorganisation of ministries and departments.