lonelywombat
May 11th, 2006, 07:39
Future of TRT hangs in balance
Source: Panel to urge EC to charge Thaksin
PRADIT RUANGDIT
The fate of Thai Rak Thai hangs in the balance after an Election Commission panel looking into the party's alleged bankrolling of small parties recommended criminal charges against its leader Thaksin Shinawatra. According to a source close to the matter, the investigating panel, chaired by Nam Yimyaem, has found that two Thai Rak Thai executives implicated in the backroom-dealing did it on the party's behalf, not as individuals.
''The committee members voted unanimously to recommend that the Election Commission file charges against Mr Thaksin so that further investigations can be conducted,'' said the source, quoting the report submitted to the EC on May 4.
The fresh findings are the result of a follow-up into earlier investigations that saw two small parties _ Pattana Chart Thai and Thai Ground _ disbanded.
The allegations were made by Democrat secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban.
Both parties were found to have been hired by a big party to contest the April 2 poll to help Thai Rak Thai candidates running unopposed evade the rule for single candidates to win 20% of the vote.
The Pattana Chart Thai party fielded six candidates on the party list and 21 in constituencies.
The Thai Ground party fielded six candidates in the party list and 124 in the constituency system. None of the candidates were qualified to run because they did not meet the 90-day party membership rule.
According to the source, a total of 15 people, including the two Thai Rak Thai executives, a deputy party leader and a deputy party secretary-general, were found to have violated election law and falsified electoral documents.
The Thai Rak Thai executives were found to have supported the tampering of data to make it appear that applicants from Pattana Chart Thai had met the requirement of being party members for 90 days. They were also found to have given money to Pattana Chart Thai and Thai Ground so that they could field candidates to compete with Thai Rak Thai.
The initial findings also found that the Pattana Chart Thai party had bribed election official Amornwit Suwanpa, who was in charge of the electronic database, to manipulate data so that party members appeared qualified to run.
According to the report, the deputy party leader was found to have abused his authority, giving money to both small parties to field candidates. He was also found to have replaced existing members with new ones.
''The deputy leader in question is guilty of supporting unqualified people to run in the elections under article 100 of the 1998 Election Law and guilty of asking others to falsify documents under articles 264, 268 and 84 of the criminal codes,'' said the report.
The deputy secretary-general has been found guilty of abusing his power. He visited the election centre of the Thai Ground party located in Soi Intamara 43 to plan and assist the ''well-known'' deputy party leader in the bankrolling.
''This deputy secretary-general was there during the discussion to alter the information on the candidates who had joined the party for less than 90 days. He is considered to have collaborated, instigated, supported or encouraged an illegal activity,'' said the report.
Three other persons named as intermediaries between Thai Rak Thai, Pattana Chart Thai and Thai Ground were found guilty of supporting individuals they knew were unqualified to run in the poll.
The probe committee cleared Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan and Sita Dhivari of wrongdoing, saying the evidence was weak.
EC chairman Wassana Permlarp told reporters the investigation into allegations against Mr Thaksin was not yet conclusive since the committee had not yet forwarded the findings to the Election Commission.
Source: Panel to urge EC to charge Thaksin
PRADIT RUANGDIT
The fate of Thai Rak Thai hangs in the balance after an Election Commission panel looking into the party's alleged bankrolling of small parties recommended criminal charges against its leader Thaksin Shinawatra. According to a source close to the matter, the investigating panel, chaired by Nam Yimyaem, has found that two Thai Rak Thai executives implicated in the backroom-dealing did it on the party's behalf, not as individuals.
''The committee members voted unanimously to recommend that the Election Commission file charges against Mr Thaksin so that further investigations can be conducted,'' said the source, quoting the report submitted to the EC on May 4.
The fresh findings are the result of a follow-up into earlier investigations that saw two small parties _ Pattana Chart Thai and Thai Ground _ disbanded.
The allegations were made by Democrat secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban.
Both parties were found to have been hired by a big party to contest the April 2 poll to help Thai Rak Thai candidates running unopposed evade the rule for single candidates to win 20% of the vote.
The Pattana Chart Thai party fielded six candidates on the party list and 21 in constituencies.
The Thai Ground party fielded six candidates in the party list and 124 in the constituency system. None of the candidates were qualified to run because they did not meet the 90-day party membership rule.
According to the source, a total of 15 people, including the two Thai Rak Thai executives, a deputy party leader and a deputy party secretary-general, were found to have violated election law and falsified electoral documents.
The Thai Rak Thai executives were found to have supported the tampering of data to make it appear that applicants from Pattana Chart Thai had met the requirement of being party members for 90 days. They were also found to have given money to Pattana Chart Thai and Thai Ground so that they could field candidates to compete with Thai Rak Thai.
The initial findings also found that the Pattana Chart Thai party had bribed election official Amornwit Suwanpa, who was in charge of the electronic database, to manipulate data so that party members appeared qualified to run.
According to the report, the deputy party leader was found to have abused his authority, giving money to both small parties to field candidates. He was also found to have replaced existing members with new ones.
''The deputy leader in question is guilty of supporting unqualified people to run in the elections under article 100 of the 1998 Election Law and guilty of asking others to falsify documents under articles 264, 268 and 84 of the criminal codes,'' said the report.
The deputy secretary-general has been found guilty of abusing his power. He visited the election centre of the Thai Ground party located in Soi Intamara 43 to plan and assist the ''well-known'' deputy party leader in the bankrolling.
''This deputy secretary-general was there during the discussion to alter the information on the candidates who had joined the party for less than 90 days. He is considered to have collaborated, instigated, supported or encouraged an illegal activity,'' said the report.
Three other persons named as intermediaries between Thai Rak Thai, Pattana Chart Thai and Thai Ground were found guilty of supporting individuals they knew were unqualified to run in the poll.
The probe committee cleared Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan and Sita Dhivari of wrongdoing, saying the evidence was weak.
EC chairman Wassana Permlarp told reporters the investigation into allegations against Mr Thaksin was not yet conclusive since the committee had not yet forwarded the findings to the Election Commission.