47 more lawmakers in Bangkok were given the order to speak with prosecutors.
PUBLISHED: 9 May 2025 at 20: 15
Six of the 53 senators being investigated for vote-rigging in the Senate election last year received summonses from the Election Commission (EC ) and the Department of Special Investigation ( DSI) on Friday.
After the Election Commission approved their release, DSI soldiers, Yutthana Praedam, director-general, delivered the subpoenas to the offenders ‘ homes, all of which were in Bangkok.
Alongkot Vorakee, Chokchai Kittithanesuan, Jirasak Chookhwamdee, Pibulat Haruehanprakan, Wuttichart Kalyanamitra, and Phisut Rattanawong are the lawmakers.
No one was found at Sen Jirasak’s residence in Lak Si area when officers went there. Witnesses were present when the request was posted on the wall.
Similar attempts were made at Sen Wuttichart’s residence in Chatuchak district, and the document was likewise left at the front doorway.
Sen Alongkot’s summons was received by the juristic company of a property in Bangkok’s Klong San district, but he was not present when officials arrived.
Sen Alongkot denied receiving the summons because his present residence is different from the listed address when he was questioned about it.
He said he would think about responding if the Election Commission issued the call, but not if it was from the DSI, which he claimed “has no power over]us.”
Sen Chokchai claimed that as he traveled north, he had not seen any call. He denied being a part of voting collusion and said he would assuredly follow the summons issued by the EC but might want to ask for a postponement due to business reasons.
Sen Phisut added that he would need to go over the details once and had not yet received a call.
According to some, “blue alliance” senators are the target of the fraud allegations, which is a significant group connected to the second-largest group in the federal coalition, the Bhumjaithai Party.
The final Senate vote on June 26 resulted in some incredibly unexpected outcomes, most importantly a significant amount of finalists from regions with solid electoral support.
In addition, an EC resource reported that assistant secretary-general Chanin Noilek has also approved indictments for 47 more legislators from regions other than Bangkok, after data suggested their vote was against the Organic Act on Senate Elections.
Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong confirmed that the EC and the DSI had collaborated on the subpoenas.
When questioned about when suspects had been summoned in for questioning, Pol Col Tawee claimed that the response time depended on the EC, which houses the major event data.
The DSI may participate in the questioning as a member of a committee working with the EC, since the EC had requested information from the company. The case’s focus has always been on the money-laundering features.
Some lawmakers have argued that the DSI should not be tasked with examining issues that fall under the purview of the Election Commission. However, the ballot system has stated that it has found widespread fraud, to the point where it needs assistance dealing with the numerous people involved and complicated money trails.  ,
In March, the Constitutional Court granted a petition from 92 lawmakers asking them to ask the DSI to meet the research and decide whether Pol Col Tawee and Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai may lose their jobs for allegedly interfering with the Senate election approach.