"The Constitution Court on Wednesday ruled to hear 15 prosecution witnesses from a list of 80 submitted by prosecutors for the Democrat Party dissolution case. The ruling came after the session for the examination of evidence on alleged Bt29 million mishandling of party financial records, an offence punishable by disbandment.

The high court instructed the prosecution to file testimonies in writing for those not summoned to take the witness stand. Presiding judge Udomsak Nitimontri has scheduled for prosecution witnesses to testify in four sessions, on August 9, which coincides with the prosecution opening statement, August 23, August 30 and September 6."

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/Prose...l-30134721.html

I have to confess that the array of courts in this country and their respective jurisdictions, which seem to change from constitution to constitution, are a legal maze which only the most experienced Thai lawyer could ever hope to master. Same goes for the men (no women yet) who also seem to rotate on this country's high courts from coup to coup, like the figures in the Glockenspiel.

I'm not sure at this point which of the nine judges of this Court, if any, are still left overs from the coup, when all nine judges were fired by the generals and replaced with men who then delivered the legal coup de gras for Thaksin's TRT Party. That same court, however, while retroactively banning the top 111 TRT politicians from running for re-election, absolved the Democrats of everything.

It's also the same court that next removed Thaksin's successor, PM Samak, for cooking on TV, and quickly dispatched his successor, PM Somchai, who had the audacity to try clearing the PAD mob from government house. The same Court also banned the PPP party, successor to the TRT, which it also banned, at which point PAD agreed to clear the airport and go home. Coincidence, I guess.

Given that history, you might be excused if you looked at the present court proceedings against the Democrats with some major cynicism. After all, it's been brought by the Election Commission that the junta appointed and it's being run by Abhisit's prosecutors. On the other hand, an impartial observer might suggest that a court which has cut no slack in removing three previously elected prime ministers might be just the place to try for four. Then again, the previous three weren't Democrats, were they.

For example:

"Culture Minister Nipit Intarasombat on Thursday said the Democrats' worries on their party dissolution case were lessened after reviewing the list of prosecution witnesses. "I am relieved after seeing the names of witnesses," he said in his capacity as a member of the defence team to rebut charges related to the alleged mispending of the Bt29 million party fund.

There was no new development in the prosecution arguments and the witnesses had given their statements in the investigative stage, hence it can be anticipated on what they would say from the witness stand, he said. The first batch of three witnesses to testify are expected to outline how they have heard about the alleged wrongdoing instead of having a first-hand evidence on the case, he said."

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/Prose...i-30134802.html