Muang Thong Thani: "Akkharawat", a reserve senator, disclosed that witnesses have confirmed the permission to carry cheat sheets into polling stations, implicating "Saewang" as the official who ordered this allowance.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Akkharawat revealed that during the national senator election in Muang Thong Thani, election inspectors discovered that candidates were bringing ballot papers into the polling unit. These papers included a table of numbers written behind the candidate introduction book or Sor Wor Form 3 for both morning and afternoon sessions. Upon noticing these irregularities, inspectors notified polling unit officers, who, despite being informed, permitted the documents to be brought in. Consequently, the matter was reported to the Election Commission (EC), which set up a committee to investigate. However, inspectors expressed concerns about the impartiality of the investigation due to the involvement of the accused's subordinates, leading them to file a complaint with the Ombudsman and the Department of Special Investigation (DSI). They have provided the DSI with substantial evidence, implicating Mr. Sa-wang Boonmee, the EC Secretary-General, as the one who ordered the ballot papers to b e brought in, and a significant amount of Sor Wor Form 3 evidence is now with the DSI.
General Kriangkrai Srirak, the first vice president, mentioned that some candidates struggled to remember all the names of other candidates, necessitating notes. In response, Mr. Akkharawat explained that the Sor Wor 3 forms were intended to help candidates study the history of other candidates across 20 social groups. However, he highlighted the unfairness of the situation, noting that over 100 identical cheat sheets were found, indicating a widespread issue. Trainers allegedly instructed candidates on how to write these cheat sheets, with a rule against opening Sor Wor 3 forms during the selection process. Violators risked financial penalties, with payments structured as 20,000 baht before travel and 30,000 baht upon returning from Muang Thong Thani. Additionally, exceeding 120 selections would result in an extra 319 baht payout.