Thaksin was jailed on August 22 last year.
Bangkok:
Jailed former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will be released from jail at the weekend – just six months after ending 15 years of self-imposed exile, Thailand’s justice minister said on Tuesday.
The controversial billionaire, who was twice elected prime minister and ousted in a 2006 military coup, was jailed for eight years in August on corruption and abuse of power charges, but within days, King Mahathir King Maha Vajiralongkorn reduced his sentence to one year.
Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong said on Tuesday that the 74-year-old former Manchester City boss would be one of 930 prisoners granted early release.
“He belongs to the group of critically ill or over 70 years old. He will be discharged automatically in six months,” Tavi Södersson told reporters.
Thaksin was jailed on August 22 last year and Thai media reported that he could be released any day from Saturday.
The specifics of his release are unclear, but he will likely be monitored (possibly with an ankle tag) and have limited travel rights.
His return comes as his Pheu Thai party returns to government in alliance with pro-military parties, leading many to conclude a deal has been struck to shorten his prison time.
The rumors grew stronger when he was transferred to a police hospital hours after being sentenced due to poor health, and it is unclear whether he spent any time in a prison cell.
Local media reported that Thaksin had been suffering from chest tightness and high blood pressure when he was admitted to the hospital, and in the following months, his family said he underwent two surgeries.
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The former telecoms tycoon is one of the most influential and controversial figures in Thailand’s modern history.
Endeared to millions of rural Thais in the early 2000s for his populist policies, Thaksin has been reviled by the country’s royalist and pro-military establishment.
Much of Thai politics over the past two decades has been shaped by a power struggle between the establishment and Thaksin Shinawatra and his allies.
When he returned home to Bangkok, he was given a hero’s welcome by his supporters and his first public act was to kneel before a portrait of the king at the airport.
Last week, police charged him with lèse-majesté over comments he made in South Korea nearly a decade ago, although it is unclear whether prosecutors will take the case to court.
Thaksin denies the allegation and has written to the attorney general demanding fair treatment.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
