Kamrob just performed his duty : Kasit [-The plot thickens in Bangkok?]

Kamrob Palawatwichai, Thai embassy first secretary who was kicked out of Cambodia

Wed, December 16, 2009
The Nation

Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said Wednesday that he has never ordered Thai Embassy in Cambodia's First Secretary Kamrob Palawatwichai to seek flight information of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra.

"Kamrob performed his normal duty in accordance with Thai judicial enforcement to have extradition of convicted Thaksin " Kasit said in a statement.

The Foreign Ministry's seeking extradition of Thaksin is no different from the ministry extraditing other convicted fugitives who have fled justice, he said.

Following confirmation of Thaksin's arrival in Phnom Penh, the Thai embassy has a duty to report back to the ministry so that it may inform the Office of Attorney General to process the extradition request, Kasit said.

Pardoned spy Sivarak Chutipong who was convicted for seven years on charge of spying on Thakin's flight information demanded Kamrob to explain why he asked the engineer to share such information and who was behind the action.

Thaksin said Tuesday that Kamrob got an assignment from his boss in Bangkok to seek the flight information.

Government's spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said earlier that the diplomat Kamrob would come out to tell his account soon.

However Kasit said it is not the norm of the foreign ministry to have it official explain to public such normal function.

Both Chutipong and Kamrob are political victims as their cases were used as a political tool, Kasit said.

Both of them have already taken the legal consequence as Kamrob was expelled from Cambodia as a persona non-grata while Sivarak had to serve jail term.

The diplomat Kamrob has provided necessary assistance to Sivarak and expressed his regret for the incident, the minister said, adding that both have known each other for long time.