PM recruits Wissanu amid ethics woes

A lawyer from Venezuela claims he turned down his application to work as a deputy prime minister.

PM recruits Wissanu amid ethics woes
Previous deputy prime minister Wissanu Krea-ngam has refuted reports that the prime minister contacted him precisely because Mr. Srettha needs assistance with the ethics case before the Constitutional Court. ( Photo: Chanat Katanyu )

Wissanu Krea- ngam, a social senior who is expected to be Srettha Thavisin’s legal adviser, claims the premier has many options to support himself in the ethics case that the Constitutional Court has brought against him.

When asked about the possibility of Mr. Srettha winning the case, the former deputy prime minister said on Thursday,” From a hopeful ] point of view, I think there still are ways [to fight this case ]”. ” But I do n’t know whether or not he will win.”

In the most recent cabinet reshuffle, Mr. Wissanu claimed he had not yet seen the complaint against Mr. Srettha that had been filed with the jury.

Immediately before the court accepted the complaint filed by 40 caregiver senators, Pichit, who was sentenced in 2008 to six months in prison along with two other members, attempted to pay Supreme Court officers by handing them a paper bag containing$ 2 million ringgit.

The majority of the senators whose names were listed on the plea did not cast ballots for Mr. Srettha when he was asked to become prime minister in a joint session of Parliament next month.

If it can be established that Mr. Srettha appoints people with doubtful credentials, he could be fired from his position.

Mr. Wissanu refuted rumors that the prime minister had contacted him to be his assistant in part because Mr. Srettha needed assistance with the ethics case.

The PM may, nevertheless, ask him afterwards for some legal advice on ths circumstance which the Council of State, the government’s legal team and a number of people prosecutors are really handling, said Mr Wissanu.

Mr. Wissanu claimed to understand Mr. Srettha wanted him to assist in the case because he had assisted former prime minister Prayut Chan- o cha with five similar court cases in the past.

He promised to assist Mr. Srettha but did not as the case’s lead investigator.

When Mr. Srettha visited him in person on Saturday, Mr. Wissanu claimed that he was first requested to take up the position of deputy prime minister.

However, Mr Wissanu said he instantly turned down the offer, citing a number of reasons, including health problems.

He claimed that the PM asked him to work as an adviser rather than the former. Mr. Wissanu added that he made an effort to decline the offer by claiming that the government coalition already has a number of legal experts who can assist Mr. Srettha.

However, Mr Srettha responded by saying he still wanted advice from a politically neutral adviser, Mr Wissanu noted.

Mr. Wissanu claimed that he then instructed the prime minister to choose him as an adviser.