Thai PM Dismisses Arrest Rumour on Return From Overseas Trip
Posted on: Saturday, 5 July 2008, 03:00 CDT
Text of report in English by Thai newspaper The Nation website on 5 July
["Samak scotches arrest rumour as he returns from official trip abroad"; fifth sentence of text .]
Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej yesterday disproved "rumours" he would [be] arrested upon returning from his official visit to China and Brunei, saying he had nothing to fear about landing at the Air Force airport.
Samak described as "nonsense" expectations that police would be waiting for him at Suvarnabhumi Airport in connection with the legal dispute over his premier's status.
A court would only issue an arrest warrant after a defendant failed to show up "a few times", which was not the case for him, he said.
Speculation that he did not trust the Air Force and opted to land at the commercial airport instead of the military airport was "in contempt of the Air Force".
"I have no problems with the Air ef sent me off, and we talked about the aircraft's performance when I returned," Samak said angrily. [as published]
No extra security was provided for him.
Samak met Public Health Minister Chaiya Sasomsap for 15 minutes at the military airport.
When asked by reporters about possible Cabinet changes, Samak appeared irritated. He said the vacant seat in the PM's Office would be filled and that he would wait for the Constitution Court to decide on the status of Chaiya and Deputy Commerce Minister Wiroon Techapaiboon, who are accused of failing to disclose family assets.
"Changes in the Cabinet line-up will be done in accordance with the court rulings."
He insisted he would prove that his decisions on a Cabinet shake- up would not be influenced by the press.
The media had earlier tipped Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama and Deputy Premier and Commerce Minister Mingkwan Sangsuwan for replacement for their poor performance during the recent censure debate.
Originally published by The Nation website, Bangkok, in English 5 Jul 08.
(c) 2008 BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.
Source: BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific
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