Thai PM urges Thaksin to return to fight charges

BANGKOK, June 23 (Reuters) Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont repeated his assurance today that his ousted predecessor Thaksin Shinawatra could safely return to Thailand to fight corruption charges in court.

Surayud, appointed by leaders of a bloodless coup last year, said he saw the Thai court as the best place for Thaksin to contest allegations by state agencies accusing him of corruption, misconduct and failure to fully report assets while in power.

Thaksin has denied the charges.

''What I can do is provide personal safety for Thaksin if he returns. I have fully given an assurance that I will do my best on this,'' Surayud said on a weekly TV programme.

''There is no problem for him to come back late this month.'' Anti-corruption investigators on Tuesday ordered Thaksin to return from exile in London by June 29 to face charges of concealing assets or an arrest warrant might be issued for him later.

Thaksin has no immediate plan to return to Bangkok to clear his name and recover some 1.8 billion dollar of funds frozen in Thai bank accounts by an anti-corruption agency set up by coup leaders, his lawyer Noppadon Pattama said.

But he told the Financial Times yesterday he would sue the military government for the return of assets frozen by anti-graft investigators.

Army chief and coup leader Sonthi Boonyaratglin said last week Thaksin's life could in danger if he came back.

Thaksin, who has been living in London since the coup, said he was not worried about his personal safety but was concerned about the potential for clashes between the military and the public were he to return.

Surayud, a former army chief and adviser of revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej, denied his government had treated Thaksin unfairly.

''I have not bullied him in any way. What is happening now stems from what he has done in the past. That should be left to run its course,'' he said.

Surayud urged Thaksin's supporters to let him fight charges in court. ''His contention should be conducted through the judicial process in court which, I believe, gives him a good opportunity to prove he is not guilty as alleged,'' the prime minister said.

''The court is the most best place for him to clarify himself instead of resorting to instigating street rallies where charges are made without any supporting evidence.'' There have been numerous of anti-military protests in Bangkok in recent weeks.

REUTERS GP PM1330