Thailand's ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra on Wednesday pleaded "not guilty" at the first hearing before the Supreme Court on a 2003 controversial land deal in which he faced charges of abuse of power.

Thaksin began testifying before the Court at around 9:30 A.M. (0230 GMT) Wednesday at the first hearing on the land case filed by the Assets Examination Committee (AEC), the first court trial that has ever been launched against an ex-premier in Thai history.

Thaksin pleaded "not guilty" for charges of abusing his power as then Thai Prime Minister to help his wife Pojaman obtain a piece of land on Ratchadapisek Road in downtown Bangkok during an auction from the state agency Financial Institutions Development Fund (FIDF) at a lower-than-market price of 772 million baht (about 24 million US dollars), allegedly in violation of terms of the National Counter-Corruption Act 1999.

Thaksin had reported to the Supreme Court upon his return on February 28 after a 17-month self-exile since ousted by a military coup in September, 2006, and granted bail on condition that he does not leave the country without the court's permission. The Court scheduled the hearing on Wednesday.

His wife was second defendant in the case, and also pleaded not guilty.

Hundreds of supporters had waited outside the Court and hailed him when Thaksin appeared with his son Panthongtae Shinawatra and greeted them with a palm-together gesture in Thai tradition.

The hearing lasted only half an hour before Thaksin left the court without saying anything to reporters.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday approved Thaksin's request to leave Thailand between March 14 and April 10.

Thaksin pleaded that he needed to go abroad to manage his business as chairman of the English Premier League football club Manchester City that he acquired during his exile, and attend to matters in other countries, including a lecture tour in various universities.

He was required to report to the Supreme Court by April 11.

The Supreme Court will decide if hearings of individual witnesses will be conducted during Thaksin's absence, while material witnesses are scheduled to be thoroughly scrutinized by the end of next month.

Thaksin also faced a charge by the Department of Special Investigation under the Office of the Attorney General, of concealing assets in the family business SC Asset company.

(Xinhua News Agency March 12, 2008)