Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn yesterday cut the prison sentence of jailed former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra from eight years to one, just days after the billionaire returned from 15 years in exile.
The move came a day after Thaksin, 74, applied for a royal pardon over graft and abuse of office convictions amid widespread speculation about a backroom deal to allow him clemency.
Thaksin, twice elected prime minister and ousted in a 2006 military coup, was sent to prison last week immediately after returning to the kingdom for the first time since 2008.
Photo: AFP
The partial pardon from King Maha Vajiralongkorn was confirmed by the official Royal Gazette, with the announcement pointing to his service to the country as prime minister.
“He is loyal to the institution of monarchy. When prosecuted, he respected the justice system,” the statement said, adding that Thaksin also suffers numerous health problems.
“His Majesty the King has granted him amnesty and reduced the sentence on Thaksin Shinawatra, the prisoner, to one year in prison, so that he could use his expertise and experience to develop the country further,” it said.
His homecoming on Tuesday last week coincided with his Pheu Thai party returning to government in alliance with pro-military parties, leading many to conclude that an agreement had been struck to cut his time in prison.
Former telecom tycoon and Manchester City owner Thaksin is one of the most influentia,l but divisive figures in modern Thai history.
Loved by millions of rural Thais for his populist policies in the early 2000s, he has long been reviled by the nation’s royalist and pro-military establishment.
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