Thaksin rushes his corruption case

Thaksin rushes his corruption case

BANGKOK (AP): In a bid to quickly settle his landmark corruption case, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's lawyers said on Friday they won't put most of the defense witnesses on the stand.

The Constitutional Court agreed to a request from Thaksin's defense that 24 of his 30 witnesses would submit their testimony in writing instead, and only six would appear in person.

Thaksin, who became premier in February after a huge general election victory, faces a five-year ban from public office if the court upholds an indictment against him by the National Counter Corruption Commission for allegedly concealing his wealth when serving in a previous government in 1997.

The NCCC indicted Thaksin in December for transferring millions of dollars worth of shares to proxies including his domestic servants to avoid declaring them, as required by law of Cabinet ministers. Thaksin denies any wrongdoing.