Updated on
Summary
It had been dubbed Judgement Day, and when Thailand's top court delivered its final verdict, it came amid tight security and with a hefty price tag for former premier Thaksin Shinawatra. 1.4 billion dollars in assets belonging to Thaksin's family are to be seized after he was found to have abused his power in all five major cases against him. The man ousted in a 2006 coup and convicted in absentia of graft was found to have concealed his ownership of shares in his family telecommunications conglomerate during his five years in power, even while gearing government policy to benefit the company. The court ruled that 900 million dollars amassed by Thaksin before his premiership be unfrozen - in a decision that could appease some anti-government forces. But a showdown may only have been postponed. Thaksin himself currently believed to be in Dubai, used a video link with supporters to insist he would continue to seek justice. And his supporters plan to return to the streets of the capital on March 14.
