Somsak no longer in charge of Justice Ministry

By Thai Newsroom Reporters

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER Somsak Thepsuthin is no longer in charge of the Ministry of Justice following criticism which he has launched against the agency over the handling of de facto Pheu Thai boss-cum-convict at large Thaksin Shinawatra.

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has issued a directive for the Ministry of Justice to be no longer under care of the Pheu Thai-attached deputy prime minister who has been assigned to the Ministry of Public Health instead.

In the prime minister’s order delivered on Monday, Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Energy Minister Pirapan Salirathavipark has been assigned in place of Somsak to take care of the Ministry of Justice.

The surprise transfer of duty for the outspoken Somsak, himself a former justice minister, apparently followed criticism which he has publicly made of the agency for allegedly performing in belated fashion and making ambiguous statements about the de facto Pheu Thai boss-cum-convict who has been staying for undisclosed “illnesses” in a tight-security, private ward at Police Hospital for longer than four months since he returned from self-exile abroad in August.

Somsak has earlier made comments in defence of the Corrections Department which is subject to the Ministry of Justice amidst allegations that a departmental regulation has been recently issued to keep the “sickly” de facto Pheu Thai boss-cum-convict from being literally put behind bars at Bangkok Remand Prison and to allow him to stay beyond a 120-day period outside of the prison.

The deputy prime minister has categorically denied that the contentious regulation underlines double standards allegedly applied in favour of the deposed prime minister who has been earlier convicted of misconduct perpetrated during his previous premiership and sentenced in absentia to an eight-year jail term which was curtailed by royal pardon to one year with the probability of being released on parole by the upcoming February.

In the meantime, the “sickly” Thaksin is largely speculated sooner than later to be transferred from Police Hospital to some living quarters in “house arrest” fashion.
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Deputy Prime Minister Somsak Thepsuthin. Top photo: Matichon Weekly, Front Page photo: Matichon

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