A protest group has begun collecting signatures in a drive to persuade the Supreme Court to look into the national anti-graft agency’s delay in probing convicted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s extended hospital stay.
Phichit Chaimongkol, leader of the Network of Students and People for Reform of Thailand, said the group will gather 20,000 signatures in support of the petition asking the Supreme Court to set up an independent panel to investigate the National Anti-Corruption Commission’s (NACC) handling of the case.
The petition will be submitted to the president of the Supreme Court through the House Speaker, he said.
Mr Phichit said the group will also ask the NACC about progress in its probe on Tuesday.
Earlier it lodged a complaint with the anti-graft agency, asking it to investigate officials at the Department of Corrections (DoC) and the Police General Hospital over alleged malfeasance in allowing Thaksin to stay on at the hospital where he is said to have been treated for serious illnesses.
‘‘The group does not believe Thaksin is seriously ill as claimed by those officials and if they still fail to provide clarification about Thaksin’s treatment, the group will consider stepping up its rally,” he said.
The demonstrators gathered at Government House on Friday to protest against Thaksin’s extended hospital stay and plan to remain until the end of today.
Watchara Phetthong, a former Democrat Party MP, said yesterday he would ask the NACC to launch a probe against the DoC’s director-general for failing to comply with department regulations by allowing Thaksin’s extended hospital stay.
Thaksin was admitted to Police General Hospital on his return to Thailand on Aug 22, and has been allowed by the DoC to stay on despite reaching the maximum allowed 120 days of inpatient care on Dec 22.
The department said on Thursday that it moved Thaksin to the hospital on Aug 23 because he needed ongoing treatment and observation for many illnesses that require close monitoring.
Upon his return from 15 years of self-imposed exile, the Supreme Court jailed him for eight years in three cases for abuse of authority and conflict of interest, but the sentence was subsequently commuted to just one year after he received a royal pardon.