Wattana accused of instigation ahead of ex-PM�s court verdict

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Sunday, 30 July 2017

BANGKOK:

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Watana vows to support Yingluck

Pheu Thai Party key figure Watana Muangsook has denied he is inciting public disorder by encouraging supporters to turn up for a mass gathering in support of former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra on her court verdict day next month.

The former commerce minister has vowed he will show up at the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions on Tuesday when Ms Yingluck delivers her closing statement in the rice pledging trial and again on Aug 25 when the court hands down its ruling.

"I'll turn up on those days unless I am under arrest and detained. [If that's the case] I'll give her my support from the cell," Mr Watana wrote on his Facebook page yesterday.

His comment comes amid a new report that police were seeking arrest warrants against him and two others on suspicion they had provoked rebellion, an offence under the Criminal Code.

A police team from the Special Branch Bureau has reportedly filed a complaint with the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) against the three.

The charge is being considered based on Mr Watana's messages posted on his Facebook page from July 19-26. The Pheu Thai member has criticised the government and urged members of the public to come out to support Ms Yingluck.

In defending himself, Mr Watana said extending moral support to Ms Yingluck is freedom of expression and urging others to do so is not illegal.

"They aren't being urged to abolish the law or the government or instigate chaos or troubles or to do anything illegal. They are being asked to give Ms Yingluck support. It's something traditional, which is exempted by the public gathering law," he wrote.

He clarified that his criticism of the regime is an expression of opinions towards public figures and their work, which constitutes free speech under the constitution.

In his Facebook message, Mr Watana also accused the regime of abusing the law to intimidate him into silence.

Pol Col Chakrit Sawatdee, deputy CSD commander, said investigators are in the process of gathering more evidence.

He said police have not issued summonses for Mr Watana to hear the charges, which may also include alleged violations of the computer crime law caused by the message being posted on social media.

In response to Mr Watana's latest message, government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the government recognises freedom of expression but urged Ms Yingluck's supporters to stay home.

"Don't let politicians lead you to stir up public disorder. And I'd like to tell those who urge others to come out that the regime will not let that happen because it will create trouble," he said.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/poli...pport-yingluck

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Well-known junta critic released after hearing sedition chargesFacebook posts, which called on people to gather at the court to support the former PM, incited conflict and chaos.

Watana, however, told the police that he did not intend to incite chaos with the posts, adding that the 2017 Constitution guarantees his rights to post such statements.

He then stated that calling on people to support the former PM is not a threat to national security and that the junta leader and his cabinet should not use laws as political tools.

He was released after a brief interrogation without having to submit a bail request.



Watana (centre) reporting to the TCSD on 1 August 2017
(Photo from Banrasdr Photo Facebook)

prachatai.org

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Watana vows to support Yingluck

Pheu Thai Party key figure Watana Muangsook has denied he is inciting public disorder by encouraging supporters to turn up for a mass gathering in support of former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra on her court verdict day next month.

99 years. More later

Related - Watana gets bail in housing project case: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand...g-project-case

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Watana sentenced to 99 years in jail, allowed bail

The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions has sentenced former social development and human security minister Watana Muangsook to 99 years in jail for demanding bribes in a low-cost housing project.

He was later allowed bail on a surety of 10 million baht on the condition he must not go abroad without court approval.

If convicted after the appeal, the key member of the Pheu Thai Party will serve 50 years, the longest possible prison term under Thai law.

The court found Watana guilty of demanding bribes from a multi-billion-baht Eua Arthorn housing project initiated by the National Housing Authority, an organisation under the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security.

He was found guilty of 11 counts, which carried a jail term of nine years each.

There were 14 defendants in the case.

The case was among several handled by the Asset Scrutiny Committee set up after the 2006 coup. It was picked up after the 2014 coup by the NACC, which decided the case had ground. Prosecutors later charged Mr Watana with soliciting and accepting bribes while being a state official.

Mr Watana and nine others were accused of demanding kickbacks from developers who built houses for the low-cost housing project.

Watana posted on Facebook his was the first case with the maximum 50-year jail term that was allowed bail. He added he was preparing to go to Parliament to follow the vote on six constitution amendment bills.: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand...l-allowed-bail

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little more.

Pheu Thai's Watana faces 50 years in prison

Key Pheu Thai Party member Watana Muangsook will spend the next 50 years in prison after the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions found him guilty over his role in irregularities in a low-cost housing project.

The court found Watana guilty on 11 counts of corruption, which carry up to 99 years in prison. However, according to the law, he can only spend a maximum of 50 years behind bars for the crimes he committed.

Watana was accused of abusing power and demanding kickbacks related to the 2.5-billion-baht Eua Arthorn housing project when he served as social development and human security minister.

However, the court granted Watana a temporary, conditional release on 10-million-baht bail. He is not allowed to leave the country without approval from the court.

Also, the court sentenced red-shirt co-leader Arisman Pongruangrong, another defendant in the case, to four years in prison. The court issued a warrant for Arisman's arrest as he did not attend the ruling.

It also handed down a 50-year prison sentence to Apichart "Sia Piang" Chansakulporn, a well-known rice trader, over the housing project case.

The court sentenced three other defendants to jail terms of between 20 and 44 years, but two of them failed to show up for the ruling, prompting the court to issue more arrest warrants.

The court fined President Agri Trading Co, another defendant, 275,000 baht.

It ruled to dismiss charges against other seven defendants.

The charter says they are allowed to lodge appeals with the plenary meeting of Supreme Court judges within 30 days.

There are two separate groups of defen- dants in the case.

The first group comprises nine defendants, including Watana. They faced multiple charges including abusing their authority in violation of Section 148 of the Criminal Code, and malfeasance or dereliction of duty under Section 157 of the law.

Arisman is in the other group of five defendants.

They were accused of aiding and abetting Watana and Mana Wongpiwat, a former board member of the National Housing Authority, who is among the first group of defendants.

The inquiry was initiated by the now-defunct Assets Scrutiny Committee which was formed after the 2006 coup to handle alleged corruption cases against the ousted Thaksin Shinawatra government.

The case was then dealt with by the National Anti-Corruption Commission which forwarded its findings to the Office of the Attorney-General in Nov 2016 after deciding to implicate Watana for alleged violations of the Criminal Code.: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand...ears-in-prison