BANGKOK Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, fighting graft charges in the constitutional court, said on Friday the 14-judge panel should take political considerations into account when making its ruling, Reuters said.

Thaksin won a landslide general election victory in January despite an indictment by the country's National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) for allegedly concealing some of his assets.

He denies wrongdoing but if found guilty he would be banned from holding political office for five years. Public pressure is mounting on the court to clear Thaksin to allow him to pursue his policy agenda.