A protest group has begun collecting signatures in a drive to persuade the Supreme Court to look into the delay by the national anti-graft agency in investigating the extended hospital stay of convicted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Phichit Chaimongkol, leader of the Network of Students and People for Reform of Thailand, said the group would gather 20,000 signatures in support of the petition to investigate the work of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).
The petition asking the Supreme Court to set up an independent panel will be submitted to the president of the Supreme Court through the House Speaker, he said.
Mr Phichit said the group would seek a progress report on Tuesday from the NACC, which it has asked to investigate officials at the Department of Corrections and Police General Hospital for alleged malfeasance.
The department broke its silence this week to say it was following the advice of doctors who said that Thaksin, 74, needs continuous monitoring and care that cannot be provided at a prison hospital.
“The group does not believe Thaksin is seriously ill as claimed by those officials and if they still fail to provide a clarification about Thaksin’s treatment, the group will consider stepping up its rally,” said Mr Phichit.
The demonstrators gathered at Government House on Friday to protest against Thaksin’s extended hospital stay and were planning to remain until Saturday evening.
Watchara Phetthong, a former Democrat Party MP, said he would ask the NACC to investigate the corrections director-general for failing to comply with department regulations by allowing Thaksin’s extended hospital stay.
Thaksin was admitted to Police General Hospital about 13 hours after he was sent to Bangkok Remand Prison, following his return from 15 years of self-imposed exile abroad to Thailand, on Aug 22 last year.
He was sentenced to eight years in prison, later commuted to one year under a royal pardon, for conflict of interest and abuse of power while in office prior to 2006.
Members of the House committee on police affairs visited Police General Hospital on Friday but were not allowed to see its most famous patient.
On Feb 22, Thaksin will have served half of his sentence and will be eligible for release on parole.
