JAKARTA, October 21 (RIA Novosti) - A Thai court on Tuesday found former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra guilty of corruption and sentenced him in absentia to two years in jail.
Anticipating the verdict, Thaksin and his wife, Pojaman, fled to Britain in August where they are now living in exile.
Thaksin's wife bought a plot of premium real estate in Thailand's capital, Bangkok, while he was in office in 2003, paying a state agency below market value for the land. Pojaman was acquitted by the court.
Thaksin said the case was politically motivated.
"I have been informed of the result. I had long anticipated that it would turn out this way," he said.
After the verdict, Thai prosecutors urged Britain to extradite the former prime minister.
Thaksin still faces several other corruption charges brought after he was ousted in a military coup in 2006.
