By Thai Newsroom Reporters
JUSTICE MINISTER THAVI Sodsong today (March 13) shrugged off the legal action taken by 100-plus senators against him, saying he will certainly see to it that rules of law and justice be upheld in regard to an historic probe by the Department of Special Investigation into senatorial rigging scandals.
Thavi said he will definitely remain undaunted over the counterattack lawsuit filed by those senators against him to the National Anti-Corruption Commission on power abuse and misconduct charges and will continue to support the DSI in-depth probe after he had formally given the agency the green light to investigate the alleged bloc-voting, money-laundering shenanigans which had landed as many as 138 out of a total 200 senators questionable victories in last year’s elections.
The DSI probe will be entirely based on pieces of evidence as well as truthful testimonies of personal witnesses and comply with the law pertaining to electoral irregularities and money-laundering plots, the justice minister confirmed.
As many as 1,200 people who had contested the senatorial elections and others could probably become personal witnesses who may be individually questioned by the DSI in regard to allegations that they had been involved in or aware of the electoral fraud orchestrated by politically-connected persons from district and provincial to national levels of the complicated, triple-tiered races.
Most of the 138 suspected senators have so far performed at parliament in line with plans or schemes of the Bhumjaithai, the second largest coalition partner, allegedly masterminded by de facto party boss Newin Chidchob.
Apart from the justice minister, the senators’ lawsuit was also lodged against DSI Director-General Yutthana Praedam, contending that he was not legally empowered to conduct such probes in the first place.
If found by the DSI to have been evidently suspected of involvement in the vote-buying, bloc-voting and money-laundering charges, the 138 senators could possibly have their monthly pay at parliament seized and withheld in retroactive fashion and, if finally found guilty in court, could possibly be deprived of their legislative status and subject to criminal penalties.
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Top and Front Page: Justice Minister Thavi Sodsong. Photos: Thai Rath
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