Tawee instructed to halt oversight of the watchdog body into vote-rigging pending decision on lawmakers ‘ complaints.
PUBLISHED: 14 Perhaps 2025 at 16: 44
Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong’s supervision of the Department of Special Investigation ( DSI) has been suspended by the Constitutional Court due to allegations that he abused his position by allowing it to investigate vote-rigging in the Senate election of last year.
Additionally, Pol Col Tawee was given the order to resign from his position as deputy chairman of the DSI specific instances committee, which approved a probe that irritated numerous senators.
A group of 92 lawmakers petitioned the court to act on Wednesday whether Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Pol Col Tawee may lose their jobs because they allegedly interfered with the Senate election process in March.
The petition asks to know whether the ministers ‘ actions, particularly those in Article 170, Paragraph 1( 4 ), infringed on the constitution.
The lawmakers have accused both ministers of abuse of power by using the DSI to destroy the Commission’s democracy, which has been the subject of independent investigations of its own.
The jury unanimously decided that Mr. Phumtham’s appointment as deputy prime minister, who oversees national security issues, was based on a lack of a reasonable suspicion.
But, it determined that there were justifiable grounds for Pol Col Tawee’s suspension, who had power over legal employees at the Ministry of Justice, including the DSI, from responsibilities that included his responsibilities over the DSI and the particular situations commission.
The disqualification will continue until the jury renders a final decision in the matter.
Six of 53 legislators who are being investigated for vote-rigging were next year served subpoenas from the Election Commission and the DSI.
The DSI announced this week that it had identified up to 1,200 potential participants in the election’s manipulation next year.
It has been suggested that the claims are directed at “blue union” senators, which is a significant group connected to the second-largest group in the federal coalition, the Bhumjaithai Party.
The last Senate vote on June 26 resulted in some strange outcomes, most importantly a significant proportion of candidates from regions with solid electoral prospects.