| NEWS ARCHIVES |
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| Thailand on edge ahead of Thaksin wealth verdict |
| 26 Feb 2010 |
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Judges in Thailand's Supreme Court have begun reading the verdict in the assets case against former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
Thousands of police and soldiers have gone on alert in the Thai capital, ready to tackle any violence by supporters of Thaksin if the court orders the seizure of Thaksin family assets worth US$2.3 billion.
The pro-Thaksin "red shirt" supporters plan a mass rally in Bangkok on March 14, but say they will not protest today.
Prosecutors say Thaksin and his former wife, Potjaman na Pombejra, concealed ownership of shares in telecoms firm Shin Corp while he was in office from 2001 to 2006.
The prosecutors also allege he abused power by tailoring policies to benefit the company.
Thaksin and his family deny the charges.
It could take several hours before a decision on the assets is announced.
938LIVE's Tamal Mukherjee speaks to political scientist Dr Andrew Walker at the Australian National University, to know if the showdown between pro- and anti-Thaksin camps will drag on despite the verdict.
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