By Thai Newsroom Reporters
CERTAIN, HIGH-PROFILED figures among the Bhumjaithai rank and file have been suspected of involvement in money-laundering activities pertaining to alleged irregularities over last year’s senatorial elections, Department of Special Investigation Director-General Yutthana Praedam said today (July 18).
Given an in-depth investigation by the DSI into the scandalous, electoral fraud featuring vote-rigging, bloc-voting conspiracies over the complicated, triple-tiered senatorial elections and involving as many as 229 persons, some of the prominent Bhumjaithai figures were believed to take part in the laundering of the vote-buying money, according to the DSI chief.
The DSI chief declined to identify either by name or position any of those political figures attached to the Bhumjaithai, an opposition party surreptitiously steered by de facto party boss Newin Chidchob, for alleged involvement in the money-laundering conspiracy whilst the likes of party leader Anutin Charnvirakul and party secretary-general Chaichanok Chidchob, son of Newin’s, might probably be suspected, among others.
Nevertheless, Yutthana confirmed that the investigative officials of his agency have so far substantially collected evidence and questioned witnesses and that the money-laundering probe will be finished in the next couple of months.
The DSI chief made his comments after an ad hoc committee of the Election Commission has finished investigation into electoral irregularities involving the 229 persons, 138 of whom are senators and 91 others connected one way or another with the Bhumjaithai. Results of the probe conducted by committee members and assisted by three DSI officials will be shortly processed for the Election Commission to consider forwarding relevant cases to the Constitutional Court.
About three-fourths of the 138 suspected senators among the total 229 suspects would likely be charged of involvement in the money-laundering activities as part of the vote-rigging, bloc-voting conspiracies over the scandalous elections alongside some of the 91 persons associated either openly or covertly with the Bhumjaithai, an official said.
The rogue senators have not only been involved in the rigging of the votes but in the laundering of the vote-buying money as part of the electoral fraud ranging from the district and provincial levels to the national level of the unprecedented, complicated races clandestinely preplanned and directed by those associated with Newin’s camp, according to the official of the polling agency.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission was legally obliged to consider forwarding the cases the evidence of which had been collected by the ad hoc committee to the Constitutional Court as soon as next month.
During court proceedings, those suspected senators could possibly be suspended from doing their legislative duties pending court verdicts on the vote-rigging, money-laundering charges. If found guilty as charged in court, they could possibly lose their senatorial status and be prohibited from engaging in political activity at any levels for a range of years to life.
If found guilty as charged, the Bhumjaithai could possibly be dissolved at the order of the court with all the party’s executive board members being banned from political activity at all levels for a range of years to life.
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Top and Front Page: Department of Special Investigation Director-General Yutthana Praedam and his team announcing the outcome of their investigation. Photos: Neawna
Insert: Media members at the press conference. Photo: Naewna
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