THE BIG ISSUE: BOX OF TRICKS
We will never know the Supreme Court’s opinion of the prosecutor’s controversial case against That Woman. It was locked in a box on Aug 25 and by quantum theory it declared her innocent and declared her guilty and set her free or gave her a harsh prison sentence without bail.
The 10-judge panel of the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions declared her a fugitive but decided not to show the contents of their box while she wasn’t there.
The crab in the box, just like the original cat, was all of the above at once and will remain so. Eventually, almost certainly sooner than later, the justices will reveal a ruling in absentia. It might be the original ruling untouched from Aug 25, or perhaps events took place that changed the crab. No one will know.
The often cantankerous political activist Srisuwan Janya, who often objects to government actions, has written to the National Anti-Corruption Commission. He is pretty sure that the No.1 deputy prime minister in charge of security, international coup authority Gen Prawit Wongsuwon, and national police chief Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda didn’t just know about the travelling Poo. His petition claims they had a hand.
It is certainly of interest that police — specifically deputy chief Pol Gen Srivara Ransibrahmanakul — were proud to report they know exactly where she was up to 3pm on Aug 23. For an unexplained reason that Mr Srisuwan thinks he knows, they have no information to share with the public on where she went after that.
The red shirts including scuttling crab followers said the government and sponsors of the coup-making National Council for Peace and Order take all responsibility for her departure to Dubai. What else could they do?
More interestingly, so did the yellow shirts. And the general prime minister ordered his players to go into a four-corner defence. It was fascinating to watch the commander, sitting atop, well, everything, become Somchai Citizen without a shred of information. She left, really? “I thought she was going to stay. Gee, I respected her. Who could have let her flee?” Who indeed?
The army claims there was no collusion with Voldemort’s sister. Absolutely none, where “absolutely” is an absolute word.
But the army’s version of her escape is a riot. Instead of a conspiracy allowing her to duck the justices, army commander Gen Chalermchai Sitthisad personally wants the country to understand that she escaped because the Royal Thai Army was so overwhelming ly, so egregiously, so incredibly in competent.
Get this. For three years and three months and eight days, the army watched That Woman incessantly, knew where she was, what she was doing. She showed us photos on her Facebook account of her plainclothes shadows. The RTA was not shamefaced. Soldiers had to follow her, keep track of her.
But, at 3pm on Aug 23, with 40 hours to go before she had to leave for the Supreme Court, the army felt so ashamed, so contrite because of all the criticism. The words of Gen Chalermchai, commander of the army: “The public alleged that it was violating her personal rights and intimidating her, so we withdrew the force.” So there you have it.
Chief Chakthip Chaijinda said he got Interpol on the case immediately. So there’s a worthwhile change brought by the world’s only female ex-premier who is also an international fugitive. Until now, herding cockroaches was simpler than getting the police to even contact Interpol. Just ask the Yoovidhya family, the Asavahame family and a busload of other relatives of criminal fugitives.
At this point, the only crime That Woman has broken — and even this is arguable — is showing disrespect to the Supreme
Court ; in other words, contempt of court. That’s the argument of Kasit Piromya, one of the yellowest airport occupiers and Voldemort haters, not to mention a former foreign minister under the hapless 2006 military coup maker.
“It means that she does not respect the law,” said Mr Kasit. “It indicates she has no sense of duty as a party leader and former prime minister.”
And Interpol yawned.
Until the justices read their decision about whether she was malfeasant, whether she ignored corruption around her, she’s guilty of not showing up to hear the ruling, which as serious international crimes go isn’t really very serious or international. The actual Supreme Court decision remains literally locked in a box and, for the moment, That Woman, Poo, is both guilty and innocent, at the same time, of malfeasance.