By Thai Newsroom Reporters
A DOZEN NOTORIOUS ministers-designate are legally held “innocent” despite allegations of having perpetrated wrongdoings which are all to be finally judged by court, said deputy Pheu Thai leader/MP Chusak Sirinil today (Sept. 2).
Chusak, reportedly named minister attached to the Prime Minister’s Office in the latest cabinet lineup, was responding to criticism that the naming of as many as 11 ministers-designate who have encountered varied lawsuits separately filed against them could possibly render an unwanted déjà vu to the Pheu Thai-led government under Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of de facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra, following last month’s ouster of her predecessor Srettha Thavisin by the Constitutional Court.
Those individual cases earlier filed against the 11 ministers-designate are currently being handled in the time-consuming judicial process ranging from the National Anti-Corruption Commission and public prosecutors to courts of justice.
Nevertheless, Chusak insisted they all be legally held “innocent” until otherwise ruled guilty by court, thus being eligible to be named members of the Paetongtarn I cabinet.
Those ministers-designate in question include Chada Thaiset of the Bhumjaithai steered by de facto party boss Newin Chidchob, Eknath Prompan, secretary-general of the Ruam Thai Sang Chart under de facto party boss/former coup leader-turned-prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, and the woman prime minister who concurrently performs as Pheu Thai leader, among others.
Chada had been earlier charged with involvement in a homicide case was named deputy interior minister whilst Eknath had been earlier charged with sedition and rabble rousing during Bangkok street protests against a previous civilian government which culminated in the 2014 coup staged by the then-army chief Prayut was named industry minister under the Pheu Thai-led coalition government.
Chusak made his comments amidst news reports that the Council of State has quietly concluded those 11 ministers-designate might probably have questionable conduct which could possibly put Paetongtarn and her cabinet at risk of being sooner or later deposed by court as had been the case of Srettha who was immediately stripped of his prime-ministerial status due to the naming of a former lawyer-turned-convict who had previously worked for the de facto Pheu Thai boss.
Critics of the billionaire power player Thaksin contended that legal matters involving those ministers-designate’s previous, questionable conducts might not be the only point of consideration by court as far as the wide-ranging code of political ethics are concerned and that the sustained Pheu Thai-led government could possibly repeat avoidable blunders earlier made by the court-deposed former prime minister.
CAPTION:
Deputy Pheu Thai leader/MP Chusak Sirinil. Top photo: Naewna, Front Page photo: Thai Rath
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