Deputy PM unperturbed by Senate poll probe

Deputy PM unperturbed by Senate poll probe

Phumtham claims he hasn’t yet hired attorneys yet.

Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai chairs the special cases board of the Department of Special Investigation, which agreed to have the agency look into allegations of money laundering arising from the 2024 Senate elections. (Photo: Government House)
The Department of Special Investigation’s specific instances board, which was appointed by Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, has appoints to the department’s special investigations body to investigate allegations of wealth fraud arising from the 2024 Senate votes. Government House is in the picture.

Phumtham Wechayachai, the deputy prime minister, insists he is unconvinced by the possibility of the Constitutional Court hearing a case involving meddling in the Senate election, which had charge him his government position.

Mr. Phumtham, who is also the defense minister, stated on Thursday that he had not chosen a legal team because he believed the trials would go without a hitch.

” There’s nothing to it,” she said. We perform our duties. He said it’s all up to the court presently. We do our work with integrity and honesty.

He is commonly regarded as one of its key professionals and the right-hand gentleman of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, and he was responding to a question about whether a guilty verdict against him might lead to the presidency to fall.

The Constitutional Court on Wednesday approved a complaint from 92 lawmakers asking for a decision on whether Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong and Mr. Phumtham should be expelled from their posts because they allegedly interacted with the Senate election.

The ministers ‘ actions are alleged to have been in violation of Article 170, Paragraph 1( 4 ) of the constitution in relation to their participation in a special investigation into vote-rigging in the poll last year, according to the petition.

The senators have accused both ministers of abuse of power by using the DSI to undermine the Election Commission’s (EC ) independence. The DS I’s special situations committee is led by Mr. Phumtham.

They asserted that the EC is the only company tasked with examining issues relating to polls.

The judge gave the ministers a 15-day response and accepted the plea. No compelling facts has yet been presented to support a suspension of their service, though it decided to do so at this point.

After some losing candidates criticized the EC for dragging its foot in investigating surveys irregularities, the DSI was asked to investigate the previous year’s congressional election.

The research focuses on alleged collaboration that led to the election of tens of senators linked to a “blue” gathering, a term that makes research to Bhumjaithai, the coalition’s second-largest party.

At least 120 legislators from a full of 200 are thought to be in the traditional “blue” alliance, including 14 from Buri Ram state, where Bhumjaithai father Newin Chidchob resided.

When the DSI began its initial comments, these lawmakers were furious. The EC did investigate cooperation, but the company later decided to restrain its exploration into money laundering.

The EC announced recently that it had discovered 27 “promising” instances of cooperation, but it hasn’t however decided whether to launch a full inspection. Additionally, it expressed gratitude for DSI help because the situation was so difficult.