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Bangkok: Thai state prosecutors yesterday formally charged ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra with "official misconduct" in connection with his wife's purchase of a prime piece of Bangkok real estate, a court official said.
The filing at the Supreme Court is the first formal legal action taken against Thaksin since he was ousted in a September coup by generals accusing him of running a corrupt government.
A panel of nine judges is expected to rule on July 10 on whether to proceed with the charges, summarised as "misconduct of a government official and violation of a ban on state officials being party to transactions involving public interests".
Thaksin, who has stayed in London since the coup, would have to appear in person to answer the charges if the court decides to try the case, court official Seksan Bangsomboon told reporters. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in jail, he added.
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