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BANGKOK: Ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra flew home Thursday
and had an ecstatic welcome from thousands of supporters, kissing
the ground as he ended nearly one and a half years of self-imposed
exile.
Immediately after landing in Bangkok, he was
driven under police escort to court to face corruption charges filed
by the military regime that deposed him in a bloodless September
2006 coup.
In brief separate hearings, the Supreme Court
and the Attorney General’s Office freed him on combined bail of
$281,000 and banned him from leaving Thailand without permission
from the court’s judges.
“He is also banned from doing anything which
may damage or obstruct the legal process. Otherwise the bail will be
revoked,” the court statement said.
Both graft cases date back to 2003. He is
accused of using his influence as premier to win a sweetheart
property deal for his wife, and making fraudulent filings to
securities regulators in the listing of a property company.
Thaksin, who is scheduled to appear before the
Supreme Court again on March 12, and his wife Pojaman could each
face up to 15 years in prison if convicted on all charges in both
cases.
The charismatic tycoon had earlier emerged from
the airport to cheering crowds, and fell to his knees to bow and
kiss the ground of his home country.
Thaksin, who has spent most his time living in
Britain since the coup, had more than 10,000 supporters carrying red
roses and waving blue flags welcoming him at Bangkok’s
international airport. Some arrived before dawn to get a prime spot
to greet their ousted leader, who arrived here from Hong Kong. The
crowd sang songs praising Thaksin, filling the airport with a
carnival atmosphere, while banners read, “We love you” and “We
miss you.”
Speaking to reporters, including Agence France-Presse,
on the Thai Airways flight from Hong Kong, Thaksin insisted the
graft charges were politically motivated.
“My reputation has been tarnished. I have done
a lot for my country,” said Thaksin, dressed for his homecoming in
a smart black suit and white shirt. “The allegations are all made
up to justify the coup.”
Not everyone is pleased about his return
however. The People’s Alliance for Democracy, which spearheaded
earlier anti-Thaksin protests, has vowed to take to the streets
against any perceived interference with the courts.
-- AFP
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