[JURIST] Pojamarn Shinawatra, the wife of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra [BBC profile; JURIST news archive], on Tuesday entered a written plea of not guilty to corruption and fraud charges before the Thai Supreme Court. Pojamarn challenged the legitimacy of the anti-graft Assets Examination Commission in her pleading and argued that she cannot be charged with corruption because she is not a state official. Pojamarn returned to Thailand from self-imposed exile in January, while her husband returned in February [JURIST reports]. Thaksin pleaded not guilty last month to corruption and abuse of power charges laid against him after he was ousted in a military coup [JURIST reports] in September 2006.

A Thai court issued an arrest warrant for Thaksin and his wife last August and a second warrant in September [JURIST reports]. Thaksin and Pojamarn have been accused of abuse of power for personal gain [JURIST report], conflict of interest violations, and dereliction of duty for personal gain in charges stemming from a 2003 land purchase by Pojaman from the government-directed Financial Institutions Development Fund [official website]. AP has more.