The ruling concerns former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra being treated at the Police Hospital for a long time instead of serving a prison sentence after returning to Thailand in 2023.
The verdict will be made by the Criminal Department for individuals holding political positions, after the final hearing of the case ends on July 30.
One of the three witnesses on the defense, Mr. Wissanu Krea-ngam, who was then Deputy Prime Minister and Acting Minister of Justice, appeared as a witness.
Mr. Wissanu said that before Mr. Thaksin returned home on August 22, 2023, he had anticipated the possibility that Mr. Thaksin - then 74 years old - could have health problems and could be transferred to a public hospital if his condition was serious.
After returning to Thailand, Thaksin was immediately sentenced to 8 years in prison for abusing power and conflict of interests during his time as Prime Minister before 2006. His prison sentence was later reduced to 1 year thanks to a royal pardon. However, just 13 hours after entering the Bangkok Detention Center, Mr. Thaksin was transferred to the Police Hospital and remained there until his temporary release in early 2024.
In his testimony in court, Mr. Wissanu emphasized that he had no involvement in the transfer decision and only knew this information after the incident was completed, as announced by the Standing Secretary of the Ministry of Justice. He also said that some elderly or special- status prisoners are quarantined for safety reasons, not privileges.
Mr Wissanu also revealed that he had met Mr. Thaksin for 20 minutes at the prison's clinic on August 22, 2023. The two discussed their health and apology, but did not discuss the possibility of temporary release or transfer. He also advised Mr. Thaksin to leave the family after the cases were resolved, but was rejected for personal reasons.
Thaksin's lawyer, Winyat Chartmontree, said that in addition to Mr. Wissanu, two other witnesses in the case were a former director and acting director of the Police Hospital.
Mr. Thaksin's long-term treatment at the hospital after returning to the country and being sentenced to prison has caused great controversy in public opinion. Many people suspected that he received the privilege, especially after his health was said to have "immediately improved" after leaving the hospital.
The Thai Medical Council has also opened an investigation and disciplined a number of doctors involved. This issue was questioned by the opposition in a recent no-confidence debate.
The Thai Supreme Court also requested the current Warden of Bangkok Detention Center to be present to hear the verdict on September 9.
