Thailand's Supreme Court denied a request today by the lawyers of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to have a corruption case against him and his wife suspended after they skipped bail and went into exile.
Lawyers for the couple, who are now subject to an arrest warrant after failing to appear in court on Monday, argued the case should be dropped since they were no longer in the country -- a line that cut little ice with the presiding judge.
"Even in their absence, the court believes it has authority to proceed with the case," the judge told the court.
The 59-year-old billionaire's flight to London is almost certain to lead to a guilty verdict being handed down in absentia, potentially jeopardising his ownership of British Premier League soccer club Manchester City.
Under league rules, club directors can be dismissed if they are found guilty of corruption by a "competent court" anywhere in the world.
The couple were charged in relation to Potjaman's purchase of a piece of state land for a knock-down price while Mr Thaksin was in office, in contravention of laws against relatives of political leaders striking such deals.
In a statement justifying his decision to jump bail, Mr Thaksin said the political enemies who engineered his removal in a 2006 coup were meddling in the courts, making it impossible for him to receive a fair hearing.
Thailand has started the lengthy process of asking Britain to extradite him to face trial, although history suggests it will be years before it can get their hands on him, if at all.
Foreign minister Tej Bunnag said the arrest warrants meant Thailand would have to cancel Mr Thaksin's diplomatic passport, which he was entitled to hold as a former prime minister.
The court case is not seen as having any impact on the stability of the present pro-Thaksin coalition government, which quickly distanced itself from his decision to flee.
Reuters