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Thaksin pleads not guilty to Thai graft charges

by Dave Keating | March 12, 2008 at 01:12 am | 186 views | add comment

It will be interesting to see how the post-coup government handles Thaksin's return.

Deposed Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra pleaded not guilty Wednesday to corruption charges, in the first case assembled by military-backed investigators to reach court.

Thaksin said little during the 20-minute hearing before the Supreme Court, which was packed with hundreds of his supporters who filled the courtroom and spilled out onto the steps outside.

After a judge read out the charges, accusing Thaksin of using his political influence to win his wife a sweetheart property deal, he was asked if he pleaded not guilty. Thaksin simply replied: "Yes."

The court also said Thaksin would not have to attend every hearing in his trial.