Poll body chief accused of negligence for clearing Bhumjaithai
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Poll body chief accused of negligence for clearing Bhumjaithai

Lawyer says Election Commission should have sent allegations of illegal donations to court

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Election Commission secretary-general Sawang Boonmee faces allegations of dereliction of duty in a petition filed with the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases by lawyer Pattharapong Supaksorn.
Election Commission secretary-general Sawang Boonmee faces allegations of dereliction of duty in a petition filed with the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases by lawyer Pattharapong Supaksorn.

Election Commission (EC) secretary-general Sawang Boonmee could be taken to court for deciding not to recommend the dissolution of the Bhumjaithai Party over allegations of unlawful donations.

Mr Sawang has been accused of dereliction of duty in a petition filed with the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases by lawyer Pattharapong Supaksorn.

The petition stems from Mr Sawang’s decision not to recommend that the Constitutional Court dissolve Bhumjaithai over the allegations.

Bhumjaithai was accused of having unlawfully received donations from Burijarearn Construction, a company allegedly owned by nominees of Saksayam Chidchob, a former transport minister in the Prayut Chan-o-cha government and also the party’s former secretary-general.

The Constitutional Court ordered Mr Saksayam removed as a minister for concealing shares in Burijarearn Construction, which afforded him the power to control the firm. The law prohibits a cabinet minister from having such a stake in a commercial firm.

The commission said on Dec 28 that there was insufficient evidence to back allegations that Bhumjaithai intentionally received donations from illegal sources.

It was acting on complaints lodged by former massage parlour tycoon-turned-politician Chuwit Kamolvisit and three others.

Mr Pattharapong said on Wednesday that the power to decide not to pursue the dissolution case rests with Mr Sawang, and he must account for such a decision.

The lawyer drew similarities between the unlawful donations case and the dissolution in February 2020 of the Future Forward Party (FFP) over an illegal loan extended by its leader, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit.

Mr Pattharapong said both cases dealt with illegal sources of finance linked to their respective parties. He said he failed to understand why Mr Sawang seemingly failed to consider the ruling to dissolve Future Forward.

If the EC secretary-general had examined the ruling, he might have made a different decision. His failure to delve into the Future Forward case was enough to seek Mr Sawang’s prosecution in court, Mr Pattharapong said.

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