The Election Commission has dismissed four petitions seeking the dissolution of the Bhumjaithai Party, citing a lack of evidence that it had received unlawful donations.
The poll body said no evidence was found to back allegations that Bhumjaithai, the second-largest party in the government coalition, had intentionally accepted donations from illegal sources.
The petitions were submitted by former massage parlour tycoon-turned-politician Chuwit Kamolvisit as well as Phattarapong Supaksorn, Srisuwan Janya and Teerayut Suwankesorn.
The petitions cited Section 72 of the organic law on political parties, which prohibits parties from receiving money from illegal sources, and Section 92 of the law to seek its dissolution.
Among the accusations was that Bhumjaithai unlawfully received donations from Burijarearn Construction, a company allegedly owned by nominees of Saksayam Chidchob, a former transport minister in the previous government and also the party’s former secretary-general.
Mr Saksayam was removed as a minister in January this year by the Constitutional Court, which found that he concealed a majority shareholding in Burijarearn Construction that afforded him the power to control the firm. The law prohibits a cabinet minister from having such a stake in a commercial business.
Mr Chuwit had alleged that Burijarearn won dozens of contracts from the Ministry of Transport while Mr Saksayam was in charge, and that some of those proceeds went to the party that has long been linked to his Buri Ram-based family.
“There is no evidence suggesting Bhumjaithai received donations with the knowledge that such donations were illegal or suspected to be from illegal sources,” the Election Commission said in a statement.
“If new evidence emerges in the future of the donors breaking the law on bid submissions to state agencies, the registrar of parties [the EC’s secretary-general] will take up the case for consideration again.”
Other sources of illegal donations to Bhumjaithai, according to the petitioners, were Silachai Buriram (1991) Co, and a man identified as Supachai Kasemsutthi. The poll body cited a lack of evidence to back those allegations as well.
Sawang Boonmee, the commission’s secretary-general, previously said the allegations made against Mr Saksayam did not provide grounds for party disbandment.
