Prosecutors seeking Thaksin court date

BANGKOK, Aug. 16 (UPI) -- Public prosecutors in Thailand say they are searching for a way to bring former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra home to face corruption charges.

Prosecutors say if Thai authorities ratified an international anti-corruption treaty, they would have been able to bring Shinawatra and his wife, Khunying Potjaman, to justice in a neutral country, The Bangkok Post reported Saturday.

However, the treaty has yet to be ratified and prosecutors are struggling to find a way to have the former prime minister, who has been in self-imposed exile since a 2006 coup in Thailand, face charges in his native land.

Thaksin and his wife have since been accused of corrupt practices in relation to the sale of government land at low prices during Thaksin's time in office.

Thammasat University law lecturer Prasit Piwawattanapanich told the Post there was little prosecutors can do to force the couple into court without the treaty's ratification.

"As long as they are not found guilty, they remain only accused and there is nothing authorities can do about the couple. Mr. Thaksin can wait until a verdict is handed down before he starts seeking political asylum,'' the associate professor said.