A human rights lawyer yesterday submitted a fresh petition to prosecutors demanding they proceed with indictments against former protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban and several others for their actions during the political protests between 2013 and 2014.
Winyat Chatmontri, secretary-general of the United Lawyers for Rights and Liberty, said the petition was intended as a "notification" to the prosecution to act because the case has dragged on for three and a half years.
Mr Suthep, the former chairman of the now defunct People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), is among 51 people facing a charge of insurrection in connection with their street protests against the Yingluck Shinawatra government.
Mr Winyat said the prosecution team led by Nanthasak Poolsuk announced a decision to indict Mr Suthep and 50 others on the charge in May 2014 but nothing has happened since.
He said the case against the former PDRC leader is apparently being delayed, noting that an indictment decision cannot be reversed by any working panel and only by the attorney-general.
"Exercising power by indicting the suspects as agreed by the previous working panel is easier than avoiding action or trying to circumvent the matter. I'm here today because I have good intentions toward the prosecutors. They should act as the lawyer for the state," he said.
He also threatened to take the matter to court if the prosecutors fail to do their job.
The petition was accepted by Prayut Phetkhun, deputy spokesman of the Office of the Attorney-General.
Mr Prayut said yesterday the case is being considered by a working panel and insisted the prosecution is not dragging its feet.
However, he declined to share details of the case and said he would forward the petition to the working panel for consideration.
Wongsakul Kittipromwong, chief of the Department of Special Litigation, yesterday dismissed the petition as pressure on prosecutors.
He said the suspects have to report to prosecutors this Friday but refused to say if they would be indicted that day.