[JURIST] Thai prosecutors formally filed new corruption charges Monday against former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra [BBC profile; JURIST news archive] and other high-level officials, accusing Thaksin and the officials of illegally approving and operating funds from the state lottery. The military-appointed Assets Examination Committee has frozen nearly $2 billion of Thaksin's assets and is seeking up to $500 million in compensation from Thaksin. Thaksin and his wife Pojamarn Shinawatra are scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday on separate corruption allegations [JURIST report] stemming from a 2003 land purchase by Pojamarn from the government-directed Financial Institutions Development Fund [official website].

In February, Thaksin returned to Thailand [JURIST report] from self-imposed exile to face corruption charges laid against him after he was ousted in a military coup [JURIST report] in September 2006. Thai authorities immediately arrested Thaksin upon his return and later released him on bail. Reuters has more.