Dept to focus on laundering simply
PUBLISHED: 7 Mar 2025 at 06: 34
The Department of Special Investigation’s ( DSI) special situations board refused to look into states of criminal organization related to last year’s Senate vote but agreed to investigate complaints of money laundering.
The table, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, met on Thursday to decide whether to launch an investigation into alleged collusion in the poll.
Some of the states include judicial organization, listed under the Criminal Code, as well as crimes listed under the Anti-Money Laundering Act, according to solutions.
The 18-member committee voted 11-4, with three nays, to investigate only promises of money laundering as a DSI sensor found that more than 300 million baht was spent to reportedly resolve votes in the election, in contravention of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, the sources said.
The next step will be for DSI key Pol Maj Yutthana Praedam to set up a group of researchers to handle the case. They can get the chilling of property suspected of being linked to the cash fraud issues.
If they find more evidence pointing to criminal organization in the Senate vote, the DSI can also build a probe into those complaints, the sources said.
Any claims related to Senate election law violations will be handled separately by the Election Commission (EC ), they added.
Justice Minister Pol Col Tawee Sodsong, who supervises the DSI, said after the conference that the DSI may also work with people prosecutors to ensure the research is handled quickly.
Pol Col Tawee said the Oem investigators will then conjure suspects for questioning and evaluate the path of money used in the reported vote-fixing.
Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul on Thursday dismissed says the DS I’s determination to not investigate criminal organization was linked to a conference between party leader Newin Chidchob and former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Sunday.
” You should ask the Justice Minister about the DS I’s decision”, Mr Anutin said. ” I have nothing to do with any of the senators”.
On Wednesday, Mr Anutin admitted Mr Newin met Thaksin on Sunday. However, he dismissed claims they met to clear the air amid rumours of a growing rift between the ruling Pheu Thai Party and Bhumjaithai.
The meeting at Thaksin’s residence in Bang Phlat district came following reports about the alleged collapse of another meeting at a hotel in Bangkok on Feb 24 to discuss ways to resolve the purported rift.
Mr Anutin said he invited Mr Newin to the meeting to discuss the upcoming no-confidence debate against Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, government policies, and the casino-entertainment complex project.
Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai are said to have clashed over several key issues in recent months. Those include the size of the majority required to pass the charter amendment referendum, the casino complexes and the push to amend Section 256 of the constitution, which would pave the way for a charter rewrite.
It is widely speculated the DS I’s probe into alleged collusion in the Senate election is targeted at the so-called “blue faction”– a group of senators linked to Bhumjaithai.
In a message on Facebook former election commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn said the money-laundering probe will take about a year.