Thaksin arrives in Phnom Penh; to visit detained engineer

PHNOM PENH, Dec 13 (TNA) — Fugitive, ousted Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, now economic adviser to the Cambodian government, arrived in Phnom Penh Sunday and plans to visit the Thai engineer, detained in a local prison and to be released following a royal amnesty granted by the Cambodian king.

Mr Thaksin, who was ousted in a bloodless coup in September 2006, arrived in the Khmer capital more than an hour behind schedule and proceeded immediately to the residence of Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen.

With Simarak Na Nakhon Panom, the mother of Siwarak Chutipong, he is scheduled to visit the Thai prisoner at Preysar Prison Sunday evening.

Mr Siwarak, an employee of the Thai-owned Cambodia Air Traffic Services (CATS), was  arrested by Cambodian police on November 12 on charges of espionage–passing to a Thai diplomat information on the flight details of Mr Thaksin during his first visit to Cambodia after being appointed economic adviser.

The Thai employee was later sentenced to seven years jail term and fined Bt100,000 (US$3,000) for releasing Mr Thaksin’s flight details.

Mr Siwarak is scheduled to