Bangkok: The Constitutional Court has accepted a petition concerning the alleged unethical interference by "Phumtham-Thawee" with the Election Commission in a case involving the Department of Special Investigation's (DSI) acceptance of collusion allegations between senators as a special case. The court has not ordered the cessation of their duties. However, if found guilty, the involved parties may be removed from office and are required to submit a defense statement within 15 days.
According to Thai News Agency, the petition was submitted by the Senate President, backed by Pol. Lt. Gen. Chatwarat Saengphet and 42 other senators. It questions the ministerial status of Mr. Phumtham Vejjayachai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, and Pol. Col. Thawee Sodsong, Minister of Justice. The petition alleges that their roles as Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Special Case Committee, respectively, involved unethical behavior that violated Section 160 (4) and (5) of the Constitution. The allegations suggest that their actions aimed to influence the process of selecting Senate members in 2024, thereby intervening in the duties of the Election Commission using the DSI.
The Constitutional Court reviewed the petition and supporting documents, determining the case aligns with Section 170, paragraph three of the Constitution, in conjunction with Section 82, paragraph one, and the Organic Act on the Procedure of the Constitutional Court 2018. Consequently, both defendants have been ordered to submit their defense within 15 days as per Section 54 of the Organic Act on the Procedure of the Constitutional Court 2018.
In response to the request for suspending the defendants' ministerial duties until a ruling is made, the court found no reasonable cause to suspect such action at this stage. Thus, the court unanimously resolved not to halt their duties. The involved parties, including the President of the Senate, Mr. Phumtham, and Pol. Col. Thawee Sodsong, have been duly notified of the decision.