A lawyer for senator-elect Keskamol Pleansamai says at least three people could face defamation suits for speculating about the educational background of his client.
Dr Keskamol, who gained the most votes in the final national round of voting for the new Senate on June 26, is in the spotlight because she claimed to have graduated with a PhD in business administration from California University, among many other qualifications.
Netizens’ checks found that the full name of the school is the California University Foreign Credentials Evaluation (FCE) Institution. It issues certificates, not degrees, based on applicants’ educational and career experience.
Local media reports have shown that California University operates from a modest building shared with a dental practice on Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles.
The certificates it issues are intended mainly to help foreigners seeking work in the United States. They may hold degrees not recognised by US employers and therefore need to prove that they have the equivalent in terms of education plus experience.
Lawyer Decha Kittiwittayanan held a press conference on Friday to clarify the controversy about his client. He was joined by Sukhumphong Charn-nuvong, a deputy chairman of the Niti Dhammahansa Association and Dr Keskamol’s adviser for her master’s degree.
Mr Decha said that Dr Keskamol is now prepared to file lawsuits against three individuals and insisted on the legitimacy of California University (FCE).
Mr Sukhumphong said that California University (FCE) has been registered as an educational institution for 22 years and was certified by the US Department of Education.
It is eligible to confer degrees for both undergraduate and graduate students with acknowledgement from the Los Angeles City Council.
Mr Sukhumphong said students are not required to attend the on-site class and only need to publish their articles in certified academic journals as a criterion.
He said Dr Keskamol had asked him to have her articles and thesis checked for grammatical errors, adding that her English language proficiency is reasonable.
‘I earned my degrees’
Dr Keskamol, 46, insisted on Friday on the authenticity of her educational achievements. “I earned my degrees, I did not buy them,” she said. “The universities I graduated from are not bogus ones.”
The owner of four beauty clinics, Dr Keskamol also holds a degree of medical science from Rangsit University.
Regarding Dr Keskamol’s eligibility for a senatorial post, Mr Decha said there are no minimum educational requirements for holding a seat in the Senate.
In Thailand, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation does not endorse degree equivalency assessments from California University (FCE), said Wannee Nontsiri, the ministry’s assistant permanent secretary.
In a related development, the Election Commission has accepted a petition by Sonthiya Sawatdee, a former adviser to the House Committee on Law, Justice and Human Rights, demanding an investigation into the case.
Writing on his Facebook page, Mr Somchai said the offence is punishable by disqualification from the Senate, a jail term of one to 10 years and/or a fine of 20,000 to 200,000 baht. She could also lose her right to vote in elections for up to 20 years.
The Royal Thai Police, meanwhile, have also established a committee to investigate allegations of fraud in the recent senatorial elections.
The Election Commission took nearly two weeks to certify the results of the complicated three-stage poll, and has disqualified only one person so far.
It is still working its way through dozens of complaints, which it has divided into three categories: manipulation or fraud, offences related to the election process on voting days, and candidates’ qualifications.
The 200 new senators are scheduled to report to Parliament on Monday. The Secretariat of the Senate said earlier that the inaugural session of the new upper house would be scheduled shortly afterward.