Srettha dismissed as PM after court ruling

Court says the appointment of a former attorney was inequitable, and the whole case had resign.

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin visits a market beneath the Ploenchit expressway on Ploenchit Road in Pathumwan district of Bangkok around noon on Wednesday, hours before the Constitutional Court ruled on his fate. (Photo: Nutthawat Wichieanbut)
Days before the Constitutional Court’s decision, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin visits a business in the Pathumwan city of Bangkok’s Pathumwan neighborhood on Wednesday at lunch. ( Photo: Nutthawat Wichieanbut )

Srettha Thavisin, the prime minister, was found guilty of a flagrant ethical breach by appointing former prisoner Pichit Chuenban to the government. After a little over a year in business, Mr. Srettha was removed as a result of the decision.

Additionally, the decision on Wednesday removes all case positions, but ministers will continue in their current capacities as interim prime ministers until a new leader may be chosen by the House of Representatives.

Mr. Srettha told investigators at Government House that he resisted the judge’s ruling, even though it was not what he had hoped for.

” I do n’t have any authority left”, he said. The custodian prime minister is now in charge.

Vice Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit would get over the custodian position, according to Mr. Srettha.

The potential management will identify key federal policies, including the 10, 000-baht digital wallet system, the Land Bridge effort and soft power projects, according to the property tycoon turned politician.

Mr. Srettha stated that he still wants to play different roles in society.

Mr. Srettha’s dismissal from business was upheld by the nine magistrates, who voted 4 to 4. The prime minister did not attend the reading but sent his secretary-general Prommin Lertsuridej. The team of 40 past Upper House individuals who filed the initial complaint against Mr. Srettha were represented by former lawmakers Direkrit Jenkrongtham, Somchai Sawaengkarn, and Prapan Koonmee.

The senators had requested that Mr. Srettha be fired from office in accordance with Sections 170( 4 ) and ( 5 ) of the charter, which regulate the ethics of cabinet ministers.

Bribe faith

Pichit and two colleagues attempted to pay Supreme Court officers by handing them a paper bag with 2 million baht inside a breakfast field, and they were given a six-month prison sentence in 2008 and served period. Criticisms of his performance made him unfit to serve as a government secretary.

In the Ratchadaphisek property purchase circumstance, for which Thaksin received a two-year prison sentence in 2008, all three represented former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his ex-wife Khunying Potjaman na Pombejra.

In 2003, the Bank of Thailand’s Financial Institutions Development Fund ( FIDF) charged Thaksin with abusing his authority by facilitating Khunying Potjaman’s purchase of 33 ray of property in the Ratchadaphisek place for a discounted price of 772 million baht.

Pichit left as the secretary of the PM’s company after only four days, which was interpreted as a plea bargain for Mr. Srettha to avoid legal repercussions. The judge decided to continue the case against the prime minister after dropping Pichit.

In his army, Mr Srettha said that as a business, he was not acquainted with all of the laws governing governmental meetings. However, the judge said that was no reason as the Pichit circumstance was well-known.

The judges claimed that Mr. Srettha was informed that Pichit had a shady past. They noted that on Aug 29 next year, he held an immediate appointment to acquire Pichit’s certification, and this showed that he was informed there may have been a concern.

According to the evidence that Pichit had acted dishonestly and had violated the ethnic criteria set forth in Section 160 of the contract, Pichit was imprisoned for six weeks in 2008 for contempt of court.

The Pheu Thai Party put forward three candidates among the three that Mr. Srettha, a real estate businessman, made during the general election campaign next year. He was chosen as the 30th prime minister of Thailand in a mutual sitting of the House and Senate on Aug 22 next month, with 482 seats for, 165 vote against and 81 nays.

What happens future?

Parties must then choose who they will select and choose to select for and voting for as the second leading based on the candidate list submitted prior to the May 2023 election.

Not all applicants are anticipated to be put forth, and there is a chance of horse-trading between parties seeking cabinet positions.

The House of Representatives did join parliament to vote on the next premier’s nomination. The Senate wo n’t have a vote on the issue, unlike last year. There are no regulations governing how much the procedure may take.

To be prime minister, a prospect needs the support of more than half of the current 493 politicians, or 247 seats. If they do n’t pass, the House must convene once more later to re-enter the process, leaving a chance for other candidates to be nominated.

The 11-party partnership state has 314 seats in the House.

The primary candidates for the president’s location, based on the lists submitted by the parties final season, include Pheu Thai innovator Paetongtarn Shinawatra, 37. However, her father, who is still regarded as having the final say in gathering matters, has expressed reservations about her stepping into a high-pressure place very quickly.

Chaikasem Nitisiri, a previous justice minister and Pheu Thai brave, was the group’s another applicant but age and health appear to act him out.

Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, head of the Bhumjaithai Party, the second-largest in the partnership, is seen by many as the settlement candidate who will come on top.

Other options include Energy Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga, head of the traditional Thai Raksa Chart group, and Gen Prawit Wongsuwon, mind of the military-aligned Palang Pracharath Party.

Gen Prawit was involved in the last two coups against Shinawatra-led governments.