Wissanu Krea-ngam, a political veteran expected to be appointed as the legal adviser to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, says the premier has several ways to defend himself in the ethics case brought against him in the Constitutional Court.
“From a hopeful [point of] view, I think there still are ways [to fight this case],” the former deputy prime minister said on Thursday when asked about the possibility of Mr Srettha winning the case. “But whether or not he will win is something I don’t know.”
Mr Wissanu said he had not yet seen the petition lodged with the court against Mr Srettha over his controversial appointment of Pichit Chuenban as a PM’s Office Minister in the recent cabinet reshuffle.
Pichit, who was in 2008 sentenced along with two colleagues to six months in prison after they tried to bribe Supreme Court officials by handing them a paper bag containing 2 million baht, resigned shortly before the court accepted the petition filed by 40 caretaker senators.
Most of the senators whose names appeared on the petition did not vote for Mr Srettha last year when he was proposed as prime minister in a joint sitting of Parliament.
Mr Srettha could be removed from his post if it can be proved that he violated cabinet ministers’ ethics by appointing someone with questionable qualifications.
Mr Wissanu also dismissed speculation that he was approached by the prime minister to become his adviser specifically because Mr Srettha needs help with the ethics case.
The PM might, however, ask him later for some legal advice on ths case which the Council of State, the government’s legal team and a number of public prosecutors are actually handling, said Mr Wissanu.
Mr Wissanu said he understood that Mr Srettha wanted him to help with the case because he had helped former prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha with five similar court cases in the past.
He said he would help Mr Srettha but not as the head of the team working on the case.
Mr Wissanu said that when Mr Srettha visited him in person on Saturday, he was first asked to take up a deputy prime minister position.
However, Mr Wissanu said he instantly turned down the offer, citing a number of reasons, including health problems.
He said the PM then asked him to become an adviser instead. Mr Wissanu added that he tried to turn down the offer by saying that there are already several legal experts in the government coalition that can help Mr Srettha.
However, Mr Srettha responded by saying he still wanted advice from a politically neutral adviser, Mr Wissanu noted.
Mr Wissanu said he then told the prime minister to proceed in appointing him as an adviser.