Ex Thai leader skips court date

BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) - Deposed Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife failed to appear in court Monday in connection with a corruption case, opting instead to leave for Britain, Thailand's national news agency said.

Thaksin issued a statement saying he was skipping the court appearance because of "unfair" treatment and said he would remain in Britain, the Thai News Agency said.

Thaksin could not immediately be reached for comment.

Thaksin and his wife, Pojaman Shinawatra, were scheduled to testify in a Supreme Court case about the unlawful purchase of real estate. The real-estate scandal case is one of several corruption claims that Thaksin and his family face in court.

Their lawyer had said the pair would "definitely appear" in court Monday to fight the corruption charges, the Thai News Agency (TNA) said. But the couple did not return to Bangkok on Sunday night from a trip to the opening ceremonies of the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China.