By Thai Newsroom Reporters
NONE OF those among the Bhumjaithai rank and file specifically including Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and de facto party boss Newin Chidchob was today (Sep.14) determined by the Election Commission to have been illegitimately involved in 2024’s senatorial rigging scandals, leaving only 26 senators among a total of 77 suspects to have been found otherwise and prosecuted in the Supreme Court.
The seven commissioners, most of whom were alleged to be ironically responsive to and covertly associated with the largest ruling party, have arguably resolved that none of the Bhumjaithai members of cabinet, lawmakers and members of their executive board had been guilty of sustained allegations of evident involvement in the vote-buying, bloc-vote conspiracy whilst 26 out of the total 200 senators have been found otherwise alongside 51 others in the electoral wrongdoings which had allegedly landed as many as 138 senatorial contestants “victories” in the complicated, triple-tiered races to parliament two years ago.
The “independent” polling agency’s deputy secretary-general Pasakorn Siripakayaporn announced that there had been a total of 427 suspects in alleged senatorial rigging plots but only 77 including the 26 senators have been found so involved, thus subject to litigation in the Supreme Court. That compared to a total of 229 suspects earlier alleged by government critics of illegitimate involvement in the electoral rigging conspiracy designed, masterminded and manipulated by those politically attached to or connected with Newin’s camp.
Remarkably, Anutin as Bhumjaithai leader and Newin as de facto Bhumjaithai boss alongside nearly a couple of dozens of partisan suspects have been found “innocent” by a majority of the seven commissioners, four of whom had been named by the overwhelming, pro-Bhumjaithai senators, thus keeping them completely intact from lawsuits to be filed in the Supreme Court against the 77 suspects on charges of involvement in electoral irregularities.
The other Bhumjaithai suspects publicly accused by iLaw activist Yingcheep Atchanont and People’s MP/chief opposition whip Parit Wacharasindhu of having been evidently involved in the senatorial rigging shenanigans include Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Transport Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn, Deputy Prime Minister Songsak Thongsri, Tourism & Sports Minister Surasak Pancharoenworakul, Deputy Transport Minister Patrapong Patraprasit, Prime Minister’s Office Ministers Paradorn Prisnanuntakul, Napinthorn Srisanpang, Suksamruay Wantaneeyakul and Supamas Isarapakdee, chief government whip Koravee Prisnanuntakul and the prime minister’s secretary Traisulee Traisaranakul, among others.
Nevertheless, Yingcheep has earlier said he will publicly identify those among a total of 229 original suspects whom the commissioners have ruled “not guilty” in effort to continually press for the polling agency to bring them all to justice in the Supreme Court, especially those Bhumjaithai-attached and associated persons.
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Top and Front Page: Election Commission office.
Insert: Metropolitan Police heavily guard the Election Commission office today as a large crowd had gathered there to await its key decision on senatorial rigging case. Photos – PPTVHD36
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