Former Prime Minister's Office minister Jakrapob Penkair returned to Thailand on Thursday morning after 15 years in self-imposed exile. Upon arrival, he was taken to the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) to face legal action.
Mr Jakrapob was expected to emerge from Gate 9 on the second floor of Suvarnabhumi airport in Samut Prakan province around 8am, following his flight landing at 7.35am. Despite many reporters thronging Gate 9 to cover his arrival, CSD police quickly escorted him to a waiting vehicle bound for the CSD headquarters. This left the reporters to waiting in vain.
The 56-year-old former red-shirt core member was wanted under an arrest warrant for colluding in possessing weapons and ammunition without permission and illegal assembly. These offenses allegedly occurred in Wang Noi district of Ayutthaya.
Some of his supporters showed up at the CSD office to greet him. Among them were Ms Samniang, 62, and Ms Natbenja, 55, a former taxi driver. They brought red roses to give him moral support. The two women said they learned about his return from his Facebook post.
Writing on Facebook on Tuesday, Mr Jakrapob said: "On March 28 at 7.35am, I will return to serve the country.''
Chokchai Angkaew, Mr Jakrapob's lawyer, said on Thursday that assets worth about 200,000 to 300,000 baht would be used as bail surety for each case. He planned to apply for bail during the police interrogation, noting that the statute of limitations for the cases was 20 years.
When asked whether Mr Jakrapob’s return to Thailand had any connection to convicted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the lawyer denied any knowledge, stating that he was simply fulfilling his duties as a lawyer. He advised reporters to inquire directly with his client about the reasons for his return.
Supraipon Chuaychoo, Mr Jakrapob's secretary, expressed confidence that his boss would be granted bail as he believed the accusations against him were untrue. He defended Mr Jakrapob’s absence for 15 years, explaining that the former minister had been involved in tasks abroad during a period when a coup d’état had disrupted the democratic process.
Ms Natchanan Penkair, Mr Jakrapob’s younger sister, expressed her joy at seeing her brother after 15 years of separation.
Mr Supraiporn and Ms Natchanan informed reporters that Mr Jakrapob had returned from Dubai because he wanted to serve his home country.
Jakrapob Penkair addresses a red shirt rally in 2008 before his self-imposed exile began in 2009. (File photo: Pawat Laopaisarntaksin)
Mr Jakrapob served as a government spokesman during the Thaksin Shinawatra government between 2003 and 2005, and he was then appointed as PM's Office minister during the Samak Sundaravej administration in 2008.
Police charged him with violating Section 112 of the Criminal Code, known as the lese majeste law, for a speech he made at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT) on Aug 29, 2007. He fled Thailand and went into self-imposed exile in 2009.
Public prosecutors dropped the lese majeste charge in September 2011, but following the 2014 coup, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) summoned Mr Jakrapob to report to the NCPO. However, he remained overseas and failed to show up.
Mr Jakrapob was also a popular political talk show host before entering politics.