Thaksin scandal: Officials probed over cushy hospital stay
A corruption storm is brewing as the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) launches a probe into 12 government officials accused of giving former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra a luxurious loophole to avoid prison.
NACC Secretary General Sarote Phuengramphan revealed yesterday, December 16, that the commission is investigating claims that officials from the Department of Corrections and Police General Hospital granted Thaksin an extended hospital stay despite his condition not warranting it.
“The NACC has found sufficient facts, witnesses, and evidence to proceed with the case.”
Thaksin returned to Thailand on August 22 last year after 15 years of self-imposed exile, only to be swiftly sentenced to eight years in prison by the Supreme Court. However, that term was later slashed to just one year via royal clemency.
The drama began on his first night in Bangkok Remand Prison when doctors reported chest pain, hypertension, and low blood oxygen levels, leading to his transfer to the Police General Hospital. Although regulations permitted him 120 days of treatment outside prison, his stay stretched an eyebrow-raising 180 days, well past the December 22 limit.
Critics have slammed the Department of Corrections (DoC) for allowing what they allege was preferential treatment. The former premier was eventually paroled and discharged from hospital on February 18, formally completing his one-year term on August 31 this year, reported Bangkok Post.
The NACC’s investigation seeks to uncover whether the decision to keep Thaksin hospitalised was based on medical necessity, or privilege.
This unfolding saga has reignited public anger over alleged double standards in Thailand’s justice system. As one commentator quipped, “For some, the hospital bed may be softer than the prison cot.”
In related news, the Ministry of Justice firmly dismissed claims that a regulation permitting prisoners to be released on parole and confined to house arrest was crafted to benefit any specific individual, including former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
This denial emerged during an interview on December 6 with Somboon Muangklam, an adviser to Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong, alongside officials from the DoC.
