Doctor in surrogacy cases ordered to report to prosecutors Oct 9

BANGKOK, October 3 (TNA) - A doctor, accused of involving in surrogacy cases in Thailand provided for a Japanese father, has been ordered to report himself to public prosecutors of Bangkok’s Pathumwan District Court on October 9. A special attorney at the court, Charoendej Salayapong, told journalists on Friday that October 9 is the last date for public prosecutors to file a case against the doctor, Dr. Pisit Tantiwattanakul, the owner of All IVF Clinic in Bangkok’s Ploen Chit area. Charoendej said that public prosecutors at the Pathumwan District Court have, therefore, ordered Dr. Pisit to report himself to them on October 9 so that a special working committee will then be set up to probe whether a police investigation report on the case contains sufficient grounds to indict him and to file the case with the court. Bangkok's Lumpini Police Station has charged that Dr. Pisit’s clinic involved in performing commercial surrogacy for Japanese man, identified as Mitsutoki Shigeta, which violated the Medical Council of Thailand's regulations banning commercial surrogacy, while also opening a medical facility without proper documentation. Accompanied by his lawyer, Dr. Pisit, again, on Friday denied the police charges, but insisting that he would report himself to the prosecutors on October 9. According to the special attorney, if the public prosecutors were unable to indict the doctor on October 9, then the case would have to be forwarded to the Office of the Attorney General for its consideration. The scandal broke out in early August 2014 and, according to the police, the Japanese businessman has fathered 16 surrogate babies in Thailand. (TNA)