Election Commission (EC) chairman Ittiporn Boonpracong has dismissed reports that the poll agency was about to start summoning about 60 senators to acknowledge charges of collusion in last year’s Senate election, calling the reports “groundless”.
“I’ve only heard it from the news,” he said when asked to confirm the media reports.
A source in the EC said the agency’s investigation into the allegations of collusion — which is conducted by a joint committee comprising officials from the EC and the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) — is still in its early stages.
Before a summons can be issued, the senators have to be given the chance to defend themselves against the allegations in front of a panel called the 26th Committee, the source said. The committee will then submit a report to the EC secretary-general for further deliberation.
The poll agency will then form a subcommittee which will suggest what actions could be taken, based on the 26th Committee’s findings.
The EC will then decide what to do, based on the recommendations from the subcommittee, said the source.
Separately, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, in his capacity as the chairman of the DSI special cases committee, said the ongoing probe into the allegations of money laundering during the Senate election wasn’t politically motivated, calling it a normal process in misconduct cases.
Mr Phumtham had previously been ordered by the Constitutional Court to respond to a petition submitted by 92 senators on March 26 who wanted the court to dismiss him and Justice Minister Pol Col Tawee Sodsong from their posts for interfering in the Senate election.
The petition sought to determine if the ministers’ actions violated the constitution, particularly Section 170, Paragraph 1(4), by ordering a special investigation into claims of vote-rigging in last year’s election.
The senators maintained that by law, the EC is the sole agency authorised to investigate poll-related complaints.
Mr Phumtham said he has not received any further notice from the court since he submitted his response to the petition.
He also dismissed claims that the investigation was just a political game between Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai.