Pita inches closer to PM post
iTV ‘shutdown’ may save MFP chief’s bid
Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat’s bid to become prime minister moved a step closer to reality on Monday after the chairman of a recent meeting of iTV shareholders said the media company is currently not operating pending a legal case.
As a result, Mr Pita could be spared from legal wrangles that could lead to him being disqualified as an MP if it is proven that the media company has shut down.
iTV was back in the spotlight after a video taken during the annual shareholders’ meeting on April 26 contradicted the official minutes.
Clips from the footage taken by a shareholder were aired on TV Channel 3 late on Sunday night.
In the clip, a shareholder asks: “Does iTV still operate media businesses?”, to which Executive Director Kim Siritaweechai, who chaired the meeting, replies: “As of now, the firm doesn’t do anything. It has to wait for a legal case to end.”
Controversy has swirled around alleged attempts to “revive” iTV to block Mr Pita’s bid to become prime minister through his shareholding in the media company.
Chairman of the Election Commission (EC) Ittiporn Boonpracong said on Monday the poll agency is already looking into whether Mr Pita violated Section 151 of the organic law on the election of MPs.
On Friday, the EC threw out all complaints related to media share ownership against the MFP leader but will instead investigate whether Mr Pita applied to be a list-MP candidate knowing he might not have been eligible.
That would be considered a violation of Section 42(3) and Section 151 of the organic law on the election of MPs.
If found guilty, Mr Pita faces up to 10 years in prison, along with a fine of between 20,000-200,000 baht, and a ban from taking part in elections for up to 20 years.
On Sunday, a source said that four recent petitions along with a request to dissolve the MFP have already been dismissed as groundless by the EC while the eight-party coalition led by the MFP goes about forming a new government.
Mr Kim, also president and executive director of Intouch Holdings Plc, which is a majority shareholder in iTV, on Monday ordered iTV committee members to launch an investigation into the minutes of the shareholders’ meeting.
MFP secretary-general Chaithawat Tulathon said the remarks in the video clip contradicted the minutes of the meeting, which he said he suspected may have been falsified.
Executives of iTV must provide a clarification, he said, adding that efforts are being made to block the MFP’s bid to form a government.
Writing on Facebook, MFP MP-elect Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn said he would step up calls for the broadcaster to make a statement on the matter, having earlier cast doubt on the accuracy of the minutes.
“iTV must clarify why the minutes of its annual shareholders’ meeting did not match the answer given by the chairman at the event.
“Society must ask whether this amounts to falsifying the minutes of the shareholders’ meeting to persecute another person politically and whether those responsible should face criminal charges, Mr Wiroj wrote.
Last week, Mr Pita said he had already transferred the 42,000 shares he inherited from his father, who died in 2006, to relatives to pre-empt any attempt to use them as political ammunition.
He said he was confident there was nothing to disqualify him from serving as an MP or becoming prime minister of a coalition government.
He said that in its 2018-19 financial statement, iTV was defined as a holding company, but in the two following financial statements, it was labelled a TV organisation.
iTV stopped broadcasting in 2007, and its licence was taken over by Thai PBS.
The company was delisted from the Stock Exchange of Thailand in 2014.
However, its business registration remained active because it is still embroiled in a legal dispute with the government over unpaid concession fees.
On May 10, political activist Ruangkrai Leekitwattana petitioned the poll agency to investigate.
Under the current constitution, individuals with media holdings are barred from running for office.
Radio New Zealand apologises for ‘pro-Kremlin garbage’
Getty ImagesThe head of Radio New Zealand has apologised for publishing what he called “pro-Kremlin garbage”.
A journalist has been placed on leave after it was discovered several online stories about the war in Ukraine had been altered in favour of Russia.
Chief executive Paul Thompson said about 250 stories had already been forensically reviewed since staff were alerted on Friday.
Sixteen stories have been edited and thousands more are to be scrutinised.
“It is so disappointing. I’m gutted. It’s painful. It’s shocking,” he told RNZ’s Nine to Noon programme. “We have to get to the bottom of how it happened.”
Mr Thompson announced there would be an external review of the organisation’s editing processes.
The journalist in question claims to have been editing news agency copy published on the RNZ website for years.
A statement on RNZ – which is state-owned – said after uncovering issues in the 16 stories, they had now been republished with corrections and editor’s notes.
Mr Thompson has apologised to listeners, readers, staff and the Ukrainian community.
“It’s so disappointing that this pro-Kremlin garbage has ended up in our stories,” Mr Thompson told Nine to Noon. “It’s inexcusable.”
The edited articles’ claims included that Russia had illegally annexed Crimea after a referendum – but Russia’s occupation of Ukraine’s southern peninsula is not recognised by Ukraine and the wider international community.
The United Nations has passed a resolution, emphasising the illegitimacy of the referendum.
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Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark tweeted that she expected better from the public broadcaster.
“Extraordinary that there is so little editorial oversight at Radio New Zealand that someone employed by/contracted to them was able to rewrite online content to reflect pro-Russia stance without senior staff noticing,” she wrote.
RNZ’s website is one of the most viewed news sources in New Zealand.
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Covid database: India’s health ministry denies major breach
Getty ImagesThe Indian health ministry has denied reports of a major leak of personal data from its Covid vaccination database.
In a statement it said “all such reports are without any basis and mischievous in nature”, but it has ordered an official investigation into the matter.
The health ministry’s CoWin database contains the personal details of millions of people.
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There does, however, appear to be some disagreement within the Indian government over the alleged data breach.
The Minister of Electronics and Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, released a statement via Twitter saying an initial investigation had already indicated that there had been a leak of CoWin data.
He said that a bot, accessible via the Telegram messaging service was “throwing up CoWin app details upon entry of phone numbers”.
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Mr Chandrasekhar said initial investigations by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (IndianCert) had found that the data of millions of Indians that had been “previously breached or stolen” from the Covid vaccine database, had been accessible.
Has there been a leak?
A local Indian media outlet first reported on the alleged leak in a YouTube video showing how a Telegram bot was revealing up information on well-known politicians in the southern state of Kerala.
The Malayalam media outlet called ‘The Fourth’ showed how it was possible to obtain personal data such as a date of birth, the identity document used for registering a Covid vaccination, the location of where the first dose was received, the gender and the phone number of an individual.
Other news outlets subsequently checked the bot and verified that the personal details of prominent individuals they obtained were indeed accurate.
It is no longer possible to access this bot, but the circumstances under which it has been removed are unclear.
The BBC has asked Telegram whether the account that had made the bot available had been actively removed or taken down voluntarily but has not yet received a response.
Srikanth Lakshman, a digital identity expert who accessed the bot before it became inactive, said that information relating to both and adults had been available.
“Only the CoWin database is supposed to have this kind of detail” he told the BBC.
Several cyber security experts have express concerns after the incident was reported and pointed out that no security alert was issued by India’s Computer Emergency Response Team.
Has this happened before?
In June 2021, there were claims that the CoWin portal had been hacked resulting in the sale of data relating to 150 million Indians. The Indian government denied that this had happened.
Then in January last year, when similar reports of a data breach emerged, the chief of the National Health Authority, Ram Sewak Sharma, responded saying the database was “safe and secure”.
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100 MPs yet to declare assets
Anti-corruption body denies targeting Pita
More than 100 current and former MPs, including Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat, have yet to declare their wealth after the House dissolution in March, as required by law, according to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).
Since the March 20 House dissolution, 384 members, or about 70% of the 500 MPs have submitted their assets and liabilities records to the NACC, according to the commission secretary-general, Niwatchai Kasemmongkol.
He warned those who had not yet filed this information, including the expected prime ministerial candidate Pita, that the deadline was drawing near.
The former MPs had up to 60 days after vacating office to submit declarations, or by May 19. However, the deadline was extendable until June 18.
Mr Niwatchai said the NACC was looking out for any irregular transactions, such as an unusually high increase in assets or an excessive reduction in liability or debts. An in-depth probe will be launched to trace the origin or sources of such irregularities, he added.
He said Mr Pita has not declared his assets and liabilities although he was aware that the MFP has given written notice that the remainder of its submissions will be provided before the deadline extension.
He explained that although the law says nothing about a second deadline extension, the NACC has not ruled out the possibility. However, further delays beyond the 30-day extension might pique the NACC’s interest, he said.
The NACC law stipulates punishments against any MPs who exhibit intentions to conceal, disguise or withhold their wealth or liabilities.
Mr Niwatchai insisted the NACC had not singled out Mr Pita for the assets and liabilities probe and that it would treat all MPs equally.
He confirmed Mr Pita had submitted a record of his controversial iTV shares to the NACC after he became an MP following the 2019 general election.
Mr Pita had over 42,000 shares in iTV, an independent broadcaster founded in the 1990s. Under the current constitution, an election candidate is barred from running for office if they own shares in a media company.
The MFP leader stands accused of contesting the 2019 general election with the full knowledge of the legal prohibition against holding media shares when he registered as a candidate.
An MP must present their asset and liability documents upon taking office and again upon leaving office.
Mr Niwatchai said the NACC would check the share record to establish their value and whether Mr Pita was holding such stock in his capacity as executor of a family inheritance, as the former MP has reportedly claimed.
Once Mr Pita has made his declaration, the NACC will compare his wealth during and after his time as an MP.
Mr Pita said earlier that he had transferred the shares to his relatives to ensure he could be the next PM amid attempts to block him from the job.
Gulf hit by temporary ban
Fisheries: The Tua Kor area of the Gulf of Thailand will be closed to fishing for a limited period starting on Thursday, the Fisheries Department announced yesterday.
Department chief Chalermchai Suwanrak said the ban was necessary following a sharp increase in commercial fishing in the area.
At least 11,700 kilogrammes of fish, on average, were caught per day in 2022, up from the 8,630kg caught daily the previous year.
The closure of this part of the Gulf, covering eight provinces in the central and eastern regions, will be divided into two phases, said Mr Chalermchai.
The first phase starts on Thursday and ends on Aug 15, covering a 2,350-square-kilometre area of the Gulf from Petchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Samut Songkhram, and Samut Sakhon.
The second phase will start on Aug 1 to Sept 30, covering a 1,650-square-kilometre area from Muang Samut Sakhon district to Sri Racha district in Chon Buri.
The department hopes the closure will help replenish fish stocks in the area, said Mr Chalermchai.
Security agencies monitoring activists
The National Security Council (NSC) said security agencies are investigating a group of activists calling for a public referendum on establishing an independent, Muslim “Patani State” in the South.
Speaking after a meeting of security agencies responsible for monitoring the situation in the South yesterday, NSC secretary-general Supoj Malaniyom said the Internal Security Operation Command (Isoc) Region 4 Forward Office and Provincial Police Region 9 are looking into the group’s activities and monitoring their social media activities.
“They will look at whether or not the group is linked to separatist movements, which is a violation of the constitution and other related laws,” Gen Supoj said.
“An investigation is currently underway, but it will take some time [to conclude],” he said, adding Isoc will be leading the probe.
Asked whether there is evidence suggesting some political parties are involved in the group’s activities, he said authorities are looking into the matter and will take the appropriate action based on the evidence.
Regarding the call for a public referendum about the establishment of an independent Muslim state, Gen Supoj said that such calls are not allowed under the constitution.
Lt Gen Santi Sakultanak, commander of the 4th Army, also blasted the referendum proposal, calling it unconstitutional and a threat to Thailand’s territorial integrity and national security.
Their reactions followed the establishment of Pelajar Bangsa (“National Students”), a youth group representing students from Thailand’s three southernmost provinces, during a seminar at Prince of Songkla University’s Pattani campus last week.
Sources said the group is the latest incarnation of the Federation of Patani Students and Youth (PerMas), which was disbanded in November 2021.
The seminar was titled “Self-Determination and Patani Peace”.
Speakers at the seminar included Worawit Baru, deputy leader of the Prachachat Party and MP-elect for Pattani, and Hakim Pongtigor, deputy secretary-general of the FAIR Party.
The two parties are part of the prospective coalition led by the Move Forward Party, which is seeking to form the next government.
At the seminar, participants were given a ballot paper on which they were asked to vote for a referendum on an independent Patani state.
Dengue cases this year pass 19,000
Thailand has seen an alarming rise in dengue fever cases, with more than 19,000 infections recorded since Jan 1 and 17 deaths, deputy government spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul said.
The infection rate was at least 4.2 times higher than the number for last year.
Around 900 infections and one death were being recorded on average each week, with most cases found in Bangkok, Trat, Nan, Chanthaburi, Rayong and Mae Hong Son, respectively.
Children aged 5-14 were the worst-hit age group, followed by young people aged between 15-24, she said.
Dr Thares Krasanairawiwong, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, put the total number of infections so far this year at 19,503.
Anyone who thinks they may be infected should seek medical advice and avoid taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen, Dr Thares added.
Sticker case inquiry to take 15 days
The Royal Thai Police (RTP) Office’s inspector-general will likely take 15 days to identify who will face a disciplinary investigation over the truck sticker bribery scandal.
Pol Gen Visanu Prasartthong-osoth said an inquiry is being conducted by his office, with Pol Lt Gen Ditsapoj Issarangkul Na Ayutthaya, acting deputy inspector-general, as its lead.
It will take 15 days before it is clear who will face a disciplinary probe, he said.
Recently, Move Forward Party (MFP) MP-elect Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn alleged that operators of overloaded trucks paid bribes for special stickers to exempt them from weight checks along the road.
Pol Maj Gen Ekkaraj Limsangkat, commander of the Highway Police Division, has been transferred to an inactive post at the Central Investigation Bureau following the allegation.
Pol Gen Visanu said truck operators who comply with the law would not face harassment or inconvenience. He was apparently referring to cases of extortion, in which drivers who refused to pay were subject to frequent stops by police.
Pol Lt Gen Ditsapoj said his panel is collecting additional information to determine who was involved in the alleged bribery because the information supplied by Mr Wiroj did not identify witnesses.
“We’re gathering further information to identify people involved or witnesses,” he said. “It won’t take long. Initially, we found 46 types of stickers that may be linked to the bribery scandal.”
About 40 highway police, transferred to the Highway Police Division’s operations centre for their alleged involvement in the case, yesterday reported for assignment.
Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat Pankaew, Counter Corruption Division chief, said the officers, facing charges of malfeasance, would be investigated by a committee.
Thai Gulf hit by temporary ban
Fisheries: The Tua Kor area of the Gulf of Thailand will be closed to fishing for a limited period starting on Thursday, the Fisheries Department announced on Monday.
Department chief Chalermchai Suwanrak said the ban was necessary following a sharp increase in commercial fishing in the area.
At least 11,700 kilogrammes of fish, on average, were caught per day in 2022, up from the 8,630kg caught daily the previous year.
The closure of this part of the Gulf, covering eight provinces in the central and eastern regions, will be divided into two phases, said Mr Chalermchai.
The first phase starts on Thursday and ends on Aug 15, covering a 2,350-square-kilometre area of the Gulf from Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Samut Songkhram, and Samut Sakhon.
The second phase will start on Aug 1 to Sept 30, covering a 1,650-square-kilometre area from Muang district in Samut Sakhon province to Sri Racha district in Chon Buri.
The department hopes the closure will help replenish fish stocks in the area, said Mr Chalermchai.
‘Miners’ held at Khao Sam Roi Yot
ENVIRONMENT: Seven people were arrested in Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan after they were found mining for gemstones at Tham Mung Korn, a violation of the National Parks Act.
Park chief Pongsathorn Promkhuntod said their arrest followed the detection of rock-cutting activities within the park’s boundaries by the park’s SMART Patrol system.
All of the suspects denied the allegations against them, saying they were only collecting small stones to help feed their families, as evidenced by the absence of rock-cutting equipment at the location. A small gemstone can go for 20,000-50,000 baht.
Gemstones mined in the Khao Sam Roi Yot mountain range are highly sought after, especially in Taiwan.