Criminal Court to decide on DSI request for arrest warrants against dozens of protest leaders May 14

BANGKOK, May 12 (TNA) - Bangkok's Criminal Court will respond to a new request for arrest warrants against 43 leaders of the anti-government People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), filed by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), on May 14. The 43 PDRC leaders whom the DSI now targets, including Thaworn Senneam, face eight charges, one of them is insurrection. At this stage, the court did not accept an objection from a lawyer of the defendants because, the court said on Monday, the matter concerns only the Criminal Court and the complainant. According to a DSI special case expert Police Major Yutthana Phraedam, the DSI did not, however, seek an arrest warrant against former MPs of the Democrat Party, including Sathit Pitutecha, Tosapol Pengsom, Charnwit Wiphusiri, Boonyod Sukthinthai and Ong-art Klampaibool, reasoning that they have already received summonses from and charged by the DSI. Police Major Yutthana acknowledged that the DSI did not seek an arrest warrant against reinstated National Security Council (NSC) Secretary-General Thawil Pliensri either, as it is confident that it can reach him. The DSI expert explained if Thawil did not show up as summonsed, the DSI would later seek an arrest warrant against him.(TNA)