Supreme Court questions six corrections officials in Thaksin’s hospital stay case

The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders questioned six Corrections Department officials today, during its fourth day of hearings in the case related to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s questionable stay at the Police General Hospital instead of behind bars.

The officials were Sahakarn Petnarin, the incumbent department chief, Sitthi Sutheewong, the deputy chief and spokesman of the department, Charn Wachiradet, the deputy chief, and Natthee Thongplad, the former warden of Bangkok Remand Prison, where Thaksin was supposed to serve his sentence.

The court spent about three hours questioning the four officials on…

· whether the transfer of Thaksin from the prison to the PGH was in compliance with the Corrections Act and related ministerial regulations

· whether Thaksin’s transfer was in line with the practice applied to the other inmates over 70 years of age

· who was responsible for the approval of Thaksin’s stay at the PGH for 30 days, then extended to 60, 120 and 180 days

· whether those responsible for approving Thaksin’s stay at the PGH had followed up on Thaksin’s condition

· whether they could order Thaksin to be transferred back to the Corrections Department’s hospital

· and the doctors’ diagnosis that Thaksin was critically ill and required surgery, but Thaksin refused the surgery and asked for medication instead.