The Department of Corrections (DoC) has denied making a mistake in setting Aug 31 as the date marking the official end of paroled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra's sentence.
The department issued a statement on Monday to clarify doubts raised by former Democrat Party MP Thepthai Senpong about the date.
Mr Thepthai said two dates were given, one by justice permanent secretary Pongsawat Neelayothin and the other by DoC director-general Sahakarn Phetnarin.
According to Mr Pongsawat, Thaksin's sentence was to officially expire on Aug 22. However, Mr Sahakarn said the former prime minister will officially be free on Aug 31. Thaksin's official release marks his completion of the 180-day parole he was granted.
If the DoC stood by the Aug 31 date, it would mean Thaksin began his parole on March 5, which conflicts with the department's own announcement that Thaksin's parole commenced on Feb 18, Mr Thepthai said.
The former MP for Nakhon Si Thammarat said if on paper Thaksin was supposed to have started his parole on March 5, but he actually began his parole on Feb 18, he would be deemed as having started his parole prematurely.
Thaksin returned to the country on Aug 22 last year after 15 years in self-imposed exile. On that day, he was taken to the Supreme Court, which sentenced him to eight years in prison in three cases. That sentence was later reduced to one year by royal clemency.
On his first night at Bangkok Remand Prison, doctors determined he should be transferred to the Police General Hospital because he was suffering from chest pain, hypertension and low blood oxygen levels.
Thaksin was legally permitted to receive treatment outside prison within a 120-day window until Dec 22, but the DoC allowed him to continue his hospital stay after that. According to the DoC, Thaksin was paroled and discharged from the hospital on Feb 18.
On Monday, the DoC said in its statement that although Thaksin formally acknowledged his eight-year jail sentence on Aug 22 last year, the clemency that reduced his combined jail term to one year came nine days later or on Aug 31 last year.
Officially, Thaksin's one-year jail sentence ends on Aug 31, the department said.
