Deposed Thai prime minister's trial begins

BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) -- The corruption trial of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra began Tuesday, almost two years after he was deposed in a military coup.

Thaksin was not present in court as four key witnesses testified on the first day of the trial, the national news agency reported.

The billionaire leader is accused of abusing the country's system of checks and balances and bending government policy to benefit his family's business.

He and his wife face charges stemming from a Bangkok land deal and a stock concealment plan.

In the real estate transaction, Thaksin's wife is accused of purchasing undeveloped land for about a third of its estimated value. She has pleaded not guilty, is free on five million baht (about $168,000) bail and is under orders not to leave the country.

Thaksin also faces separate charges of concealing assets.

Thaksin, a telecommunications tycoon, owns the English Premier League Manchester City Football Club. His party won two landslide victories before he was deposed in a bloodless military coup in September 2006.

He was exiled abroad for 17 months until his allies won nearly half the seats in the lower house in December's parliamentary elections in Thailand.

Despite the charges, Thaksin's popularity remains strong in the country. Supporters danced, beat drums and sang as he arrived at Bangkok airport in February, vowing to restore his reputation.

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