A court in Thailand has dismissed a high-profile case against the country’s former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra over allegations he violated the country’s strict laws on royal insults, the billionaire and his lawyer said.

“The case was dismissed,” Thaksin told reporters with a smile as he left the court house following the verdict on Friday.

The criminal court in Bangkok has yet to publicly announce Friday’s decision.

His lawyer earlier confirmed the decision to Reuters but gave no reason for the dismissal.

The case was brought by the royalist military alleging Thaksin, 76, had violated Thailand’s strict lese-majeste law during a 2015 interview with foreign media while in self-imposed exile.

Thaksin has denied wrongdoing and has repeatedly pledged allegiance to the king, who is

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