Taped phone chat to be scrutinised

Pressure mounts on Chart Thai MPs

Post Reporters

The Election Commission has set up a committee to examine a tape recording of an alleged telephone conversation between Chart Thai members about vote buying.

Sawat Chotipanich, commissioner in charge of poll fraud investigation, said the panel would try to identify the voices of the people on the tape. It would also determine if the conversation had anything to do with the June 30 by-election in Nakhon Nayok.

If necessary, the committee would send the tape to the Scientific Crime Detection Division for checks, he said.

The panel is chaired by Vijit Yusuparp, secretary-general of the commission.

Other members are Pol Col Chaisri Pongpat, deputy director of investigations, Pol Col Vinai Thongsong, deputy commander of the Crime Suppression Division, Pol Maj-Gen Amporn Charuchinda, commander of the Scientific Crime Detection Division, Pol Lt-Gen Chidchai Wansathit, assistant national police chief, and Lt-Col Pusadee Pawaputanont, an Election Commission official.

The conversation is allegedly between MP Somsak Prisnananthakul, a deputy House speaker and Chart Thai deputy leader, and Sithichai Kittithanesuan, a Chart Thai MP for Nakhon Nayok, about buying votes for 200 baht each.

The tape was obtained by TV Channel 5 which aired it on June 30 as by-elections were being held in Nakhon Nayok and five other provinces. The station handed over the tape to the commission on Tuesday.

Mr Sawat said he had listened to the tape. It had not been edited and the conversation was complete. The voices, however, were not very clear.

If the speakers could be identified and the conversation found to involve poll fraud, the tape would be taken as evidence for further action.

Since tests on the tape could take a while, the commission was likely to go ahead and announce the election results. It had already been decided to release the results from all seven constituencies in the six provinces where polling was held at the same time.

The forensic science office at police headquarters has formed a team to check the tape once it is handed over.

Pol Lt-Gen Boonyarit Rattanaporn, the chief, assigned his deputy, Pol Maj-Gen Chatree Sunthornsorn, to supervise.

Investigators had been told to report their findings directly to Pol Lt-Gen Boonyarit, a police source said.

Pol Lt-Gen Boonyarit met national police chief Pol Gen Pornsak Durongkhaviboon yesterday to discuss the problem, as the Chart Thai party continued to defend Mr Somsak. Vitthaya Khunpluem (Chon Buri) said the recording, if proven genuine, was an unethical breach of privacy.

Mr Somsak held high status as a leading member of Chart Thai and a deputy House speaker. "If his conversation could be taped, just imagine how safe the lives and property of others must be."Mr Vitthaya said he had listened to the tape and he reckoned Mr Somsak was not talking about buying votes.

Rather, he was trying to stop "the other side" from doing so.

Mr Somsak has repeatedly rejected allegations that he was involved in vote buying.