Sgt Prasit Chaisrisa, a former Pheu Thai MP and red-shirt figure, on Monday pleaded guilty to lèse
majesté charges before the criminal court, after he earlier denied all allegations.
Prasit was accused of defaming the King during a speech on an event titled “Stop Overthrowing Democracy,” held at Imperial World Ladprao Department Store on 7 May 2014. A staff member of the military Judge Advocate General’s Office filed a police complaint against him. He has been detained at the Bangkok Remand Prison since his arrest on 29 May. The court has denied his request for bail.
The court scheduled 3 December for the reading of the verdict.
On 29 September he pleaded not guilty in court, but later on 21 October, the former MP submitted a 32-page written testimony to the court which mostly confessed to the alleged crimes. On Monday the court asked him whether he wanted to withdraw the parts in the written testimony which rejected the allegation. Prasit decided to withdraw them and pleaded guilty to all allegations.
According to iLaw, Prasit stated in the testimony that he is grateful of the Thai monarchy, he does not want to be a burden for the court (that the court have to spend long time on his case) and that he did not intend to defame the King, but the anti-election People’s Democratic Reform committee Suthep Thaugsuban.
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