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A judge in Thailand has issued warrants for the arrest of the country's former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, and his wife after the couple - currently living in London - failed to appear in court to face corruption charges.
Supreme Court judge Tonglor Choam-ngam said the court had "reason to believe that they are evading prosecution".
He then fixed the next hearing for the case in six weeks time.
Mr Thaksin, overthrown by a coup last September, has acquired a high profile in the UK where he has bought Premier League football club Manchester City.
On Tuesday night he issued a statement which said: "I am aware of the decision in Thailand. I shall consult with my legal advisers and make an announcement in due course."
The demonstrations that accompanied Mr Thaksin's ousting last year focused on allegations of corruption relating to a land deal in Bangkok in 2003.
It was charges relating to the alleged corruption that he and his wife were due to answer yesterday.
Officials in Bangkok, where a serious of investigations into Mr Thaksin's alleged corruption have been carried out by those forces which ousted him, said they will now seek the extradition of the former prime minister.
While Mr Thaksin's wife has been travelling in and out of Thailand he has not and he has shown no interest in returning to contest elections scheduled for December.
Since moving to Britain Mr Thaksin has maintained a high profile by buying the Manchester City football team.
"Since he is abroad, we are left with no choice but to ask for extradition at some point but it's too soon to tell when that would be," Athapol Yaisavang, a spokesman for the Attorney General's Office, told the Associated Press.
Mr Thaksin is charged with conflict of interest and dereliction of duty for personal gain over a deal for a piece of land in central Bangkok valued at around $25m.
The case involves his wife, Pojamarn, because she is alleged to have bought the land from the Financial Institutions Development Fund, which is directed by the central bank.
If convicted the pair face up to three years in jail.
Lawyers for Mr Thaksin, who made billions of dollars in the telecommunications industry before entering politics, tried to delay proceedings, arguing that it was not safe for the former prime minister to travel to Thailand - a point that had previously been made by the head of the Thai Army earlier this year.
The lawyers also said it was in the interest of national unity that he not return until after a new election had been held.
But Judge Tonglor rejected such arguments. He claimed Thailand was a democratic country despite being in a post-coup situation.
He said he "still has the right and duty to protect people's lives and properties. A crime against people's lives and properties is still a criminal offence".
Since June, the military government of Thailand has frozen about $2bn worth of assets belonging to Mr Thaksin and his family.
The freeze was enforced pending the outcome of other court cases related to charges of corruption and abuse of power.
After the court ruling, Mr Thaksin's lawyer, Pichit Chuenban, told reporters: "I have talked with my two clients and we agree that the best timing for them to return to fight the case is after the election.
We reiterate that the current situation is still not good for their safety and we have no desire to see disunity in the country."
- INDEPENDENT
