Uganda denies issuing passport to fugitive Thai prime minister

The denial comes amid allegations made by the number two of Thailand’s Foreign Affairs Ministry that passports issued to Mr Shinawatra by other countries including Uganda were hampering international efforts to apprehend him.

Kampala
No travel document has been issued to former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has said.
The denial comes amid allegations made by the number two of Thailand’s Foreign Affairs Ministry that passports issued to Mr Shinawatra by other countries including Uganda were hampering international efforts to apprehend him.

Mr Shinawatra is wanted on corruption charges back home. “He has not been issued a Ugandan passport,” said Dr Stephen Kagoda, the Internal Affairs Permanent Secretary yesterday.

Internal Affairs oversees the Immigration Directorate that is responsible for issuing passports.

Deputy Thai Foreign Minister Panich Vikitsreth told the Thai newspaper The Nation that Uganda, Nicaragua and Montenegro had all given the former primer passports under a new alias “Takki Shinegra”.