By Thai Newsroom Reporters
THE COMMITTEE ON SPECIAL Lawsuits under the Department of Special Investigation today (Feb.25) postponed the making of a decision as to whether the agency may address scandals surrounding last year’s senatorial elections as a special lawsuit until early next month.
The DSI committee chaired by Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai today chose to postpone the decision until March 6, pending consultations with Election Commission Chair Itthiporn Boonprakhong.
According to Phumtham, viewed as a right-hand man for Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s father/de facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra, the DSI committee will decide on March 6 whether to handle the scandals as a special case in which an in-depth investigation will be conducted by the agency into allegations that as many as 138 senators had been covertly involved in electoral rigging, bloc-voting plots which had landed them contentious victories in last year’s unprecedented, triple-tiered races to parliament.
Phumtham said Itthiporn will be formally asked to sit on the 22-member committee that day so, he said, the polling agency’s chair could contribute to the making of the decision on the disreputable scandals which could possibly render an immediate seizure of the suspected senators’ assets and a loss of their legislative status if finally found guilty as charged in court.
If ever approved by Phumtham’s panel, the alleged electoral fraud involving as many as 138 out of a total of 200 senators will primarily warrant in-depth investigation by the DSI in regard to criminal conspiracy and money-laundering charges, according to the deputy prime minister.
He said any irregularities which may be found to have directly involved the nationwide electoral process would entirely depend on the polling agency as to whether any legal action will be taken against any relevant suspects whilst the DSI would only handle the criminal conspiracy and money-laundering charges on the basis of being a special case.
Most of the 138 suspected senators have been invariably alleged of being more or less loyal or clandestinely connected to the Bhumjaithai, the second largest coalition partner under de facto party boss Newin Chidchob.
Behind-the-scenes efforts have been made on the part of unnamed, politically-associated elements to keep the DSI at bay and bury all dirt surrounding the sheer electoral rigging, bloc-voting shenanigans which could otherwise lead to criminal conspiracy and money-laundering charges involving those pro-Bhumjaithai senators.
The DSI is a government agency under direct control of Justice Minister Thavi Sodsong who is largely known to be a quietly staunch supporter of de facto Pheu Thai boss.
Thaksin’s party has apparently locked horns with Newin’s camp over varied political issues ranging from yet-thwarted constitution amendment bids at parliament to questionable, private occupations of state and parish property in the provinces with the former steering legislative moves of a majority of coalition MPs and the latter practically taking control of most senators, albeit in hush-hush fashion.
CAPTIONS:
Deputy Prime Minister/Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai chairing the Department of Special Investigation special committee meeting today, Feb. 25, 2026. Top photo: Naewna, Front Page photo: Thai Rath
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