[Immerymopay]

A vendor possessed CDs with content that defamed the royal institution, a high-profile lese majeste trial was told yesterday.

Ekachai Hongkangwan, 37, was arrested on March 10 last year on charges of possessing 70 CDs which contained content violating the lese majeste law.

Pol Sen Sgt Maj Nakorn Kongklin, of Chana Songkhram police, said he posed as a buyer and arrested Mr Ekachai after the defendant handed him one of the CDs.

He said a search of Mr Ekachai's body yielded 70 copies of the CDs, which contained a segment of an Australian Broadcasting Corporation programme, Foreign Correspondent, dating from 2010 about the future of the Thai monarchy.

The segment includes footage from what police said was a private video of Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn.

Police later seized from the vendor printouts, WikiLeaks documents and several more CDs, Pol Sen Sgt Maj Nakorn said.

Pol Lt Col Somyos Udomraksasup, an investigator from Chana Songkhram police station, told the court Mr Ekachai violated Article 112 of the Criminal Code, better known as the lese majeste law.

Pol Sen Sgt Maj Nakorn said the defendant initially admitted the charges, which include lese majeste and unauthorised sale of CDs. Mr Ekachai has since denied all charges.

Mr Ekachai, a native of Bangkok, was granted bail seven days after his arrest.

Defence lawyers want to call as witnesses Privy Council President Gen Prem Tinsulanonda, former prime minister Anand Panyarachun and privy councillor Adm Siddhi Savetsila.

The witnesses were quoted in WikiLeaks documents in relation to information about the palace.

Defence lawyer Anond Nampa said he will petition the Constitution Court today to stop the trial against his client.

He claimed Article 112 violated the constitution as it sought to impose excessive punishment on wrongdoers and ran counter to freedom of expression guaranteed by the present charter.