BANGKOK, 22 November 2012 – The Administrative Court has deferred a decision on whether to accept Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva’s petition against Defense Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat’s order stripping him of his military rank for judicial review.
After hearing arguments from Abhisit and Sukumpol for more than four hours yesterday, the court told them to submit more documents next week.
The case involves the defense minister’s order revoking the former prime minister of his military rank and recalling his salary on the grounds that Abhisit used fraudulent documents to apply for and obtain a job as a lecturer at Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy.
Deputy chief of the Secretariat Department, Lieutenant General Pinit Chatsathienpong, who accompanied the defense minister to court, explained that the hearing was preliminary and the court wanted to consider more documents to decide if the case merits the court’s intervention.
