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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Ousted Thai PM appears in court | Ousted Thai PM appears in court |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has appeared in court in the capital, Bangkok, to plead innocent to corruption charges against him. | Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has appeared in court in the capital, Bangkok, to plead innocent to corruption charges against him. |
| Mr Thaksin and his wife face charges relating to a Bangkok real estate deal. | Mr Thaksin and his wife face charges relating to a Bangkok real estate deal. |
| The telecommunications billionaire denies any wrongdoing and says the charges are politically motivated. | The telecommunications billionaire denies any wrongdoing and says the charges are politically motivated. |
| The hearing comes less than two weeks after Mr Thaksin returned to Thailand for the first time since he was ousted in a coup in September 2006. | The hearing comes less than two weeks after Mr Thaksin returned to Thailand for the first time since he was ousted in a coup in September 2006. |
| The military accused him of corruption and seized power while he was out of the country, leaving Mr Thaksin in self-imposed overseas exile. | The military accused him of corruption and seized power while he was out of the country, leaving Mr Thaksin in self-imposed overseas exile. |
| But his political allies won democratic elections late last year, facilitating his return to the country on 28 February. | But his political allies won democratic elections late last year, facilitating his return to the country on 28 February. |
| UK return | UK return |
| Mr Thaksin has said that he is confident of clearing his name of the charges - brought against him by military-backed investigators. | Mr Thaksin has said that he is confident of clearing his name of the charges - brought against him by military-backed investigators. |
| THAKSIN TIMELINE September 2006: Military coup overthrows Thaksin, who goes into overseas exile May 2007: Thaksin is banned from politics for five years, and his party is dissolvedJuly 2007: Thaksin becomes owner of Manchester City FCDecember 2007: The PPP party, made up largely of Thaksin's followers, wins the general electionFebruary 2008: Thaksin returns to Thailand | |
| Together with his wife, he faces two sets of allegations - the first linked to the purchase of a plot of land in central Bangkok and the second to alleged violation of stock-trading laws. | Together with his wife, he faces two sets of allegations - the first linked to the purchase of a plot of land in central Bangkok and the second to alleged violation of stock-trading laws. |
| Millions of dollars of his assets have remained frozen since the charges were laid. | Millions of dollars of his assets have remained frozen since the charges were laid. |
| The hearing - which relates only to the land sale case - comes a day before Mr Thaksin is due to fly back to the UK. | The hearing - which relates only to the land sale case - comes a day before Mr Thaksin is due to fly back to the UK. |
| He owns Manchester City football club and says he has business to attend to there. | He owns Manchester City football club and says he has business to attend to there. |
| The court has approved his visit and says he must return to Thailand by mid-April. | The court has approved his visit and says he must return to Thailand by mid-April. |
| Mr Thaksin's return to Thailand has fuelled speculation that he could be planning a political comeback. | Mr Thaksin's return to Thailand has fuelled speculation that he could be planning a political comeback. |
| But in a news conference on Tuesday, the ousted prime minister emphasised that he had no such plans and said he bore no ill will towards the coup leaders. | But in a news conference on Tuesday, the ousted prime minister emphasised that he had no such plans and said he bore no ill will towards the coup leaders. |
| "Let bygones be bygones," he said. "We are moving ahead. Let's move the country forward." | "Let bygones be bygones," he said. "We are moving ahead. Let's move the country forward." |
| He would devote his time to business interests and charity work, he said. | He would devote his time to business interests and charity work, he said. |