In the two cases, Thasksin is accused of having abused his authority as prime minister concerning an allegedly fraudulent Krung Thai Bank loan and in regards to the conversion of a satellite and mobile telephone concession into excise taxes that benefited his former firm Shincorp.

Wanchat Santikunchorn, spokesman of the Office of the Attorney-General, said on Tuesday that his office decided to file the request at the suggestion of an internal working group appointed late last month to consider the reactivation of criminal cases involving Thaksin.

The panel proposed the Attorney-General to submit the request to the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders, asking it to revoke a previous order to temporary suspend the two cases, and to start a trial in absentia.

The Supreme Court previously suspended the cases because he had fled the country and a previous law had not allowed the trial in absentia.

But Article 28 of the new procedural act on criminal cases against politicians stipulates that the Supreme Court can deliberate cases in absentia if defendants fail to appear before the court.