Lawyer seeks PM’s help on gold bribe case legal clarification, denies delay tactics.

MGR Online•Politics•267d ago

Reader Briefing

A lawyer for former national police deputy chief Pol. Gen. Surachate Hakparn has asked the Prime Minister to seek legal clarification from the Council of State regarding the gold bribe case, insisting it's a matter of law, not politics or a delay tactic.

•Lawyer Sanya Phatchara Samart submitted a petition to the Prime Minister requesting consultation with the Council of State on the gold bribe case.
•The lawyer asserts that the police do not have the authority to investigate this specific case, citing constitutional and relevant legal provisions.
•The petition aims to resolve legal ambiguities surrounding the investigation after the NACC returned the case file, stating it was outside their jurisdiction.

Overview

•On Jan 30, at 10:30 AM, Sanya Phatchara Samart, lawyer for Pol. Gen. Surachate Hakparn, submitted a petition to the Prime Minister at the Government Complaint Center.
•The petition was submitted due to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) returning the gold bribe case file to the police, stating it was outside their jurisdiction.
•Lawyer Sanya Phatchara Samart stated that the issue is a legal matter, not political, and denies it is a delay tactic, emphasizing that constitutional and specific laws clearly define jurisdiction.
•The lawyer highlighted that the NACC's action and subsequent police attempts to seek opinions from other agencies were inappropriate, referencing a previous opinion from the Council of State.
•Lawyer Sanya Phatchara Samart requested the Prime Minister to act as an intermediary and forward legal opinions to the Council of State for clarification.
•The lawyer emphasized that relevant laws, including the Organic Act on Corruption Prevention and Suppression B.E. 2561 and the Organic Act on Criminal Procedure for Political Office Holders B.E. 2560, mandate specific channels for prosecution.
•If the Council of State finds grounds, the case should proceed to the Supreme Court for a legitimate arbiter, according to the lawyer.
•Lawyer Sanya Phatchara Samart also plans to petition the Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police to ensure adherence to legal procedures, not arbitrary decisions.

Full article content is available on the original source.

Read on MGR Online (Thai Version)View in Google Translate

Source: MGR Online (Original)

View Original Article

Key Quotes

Sanya Phatchara Samart

"I affirm this is not political and not a delay tactic, but a legal matter, as the constitution clearly states with two related acts."

ยืนยันว่าเรื่องนี้ไม่ใช่เรื่องการเมือง และไม่ใช่การประวิงเวลา แต่เป็นเรื่องข้อกฎหมาย ซึ่งรัฐธรรมนูญเขียนเอาไว้ชัด และมีพระราชบัญญัติ (พ.ร.บ.) ที่เกี่ยวข้อง 2 ฉบับ

Sanya Phatchara Samart

"The law clearly states police have no authority."

กฎหมายระบุชัด ตำรวจไม่มีอำนาจ

Sanya Phatchara Samart

"Therefore, I request the Prime Minister to act as an intermediary and send the opinion to the Council of State."

ตนจึงขอให้นายกฯช่วยเป็นคนกลาง ส่งความเห็นไปให้คณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา

Key Entities

Person

Lawyer Joke(“ทนายบิ๊กโจ๊ก”)

Lawyer representing Pol. Gen. Surachate Hakparn (Big Joke) concerning the gold bribe case.

Prime Minister(นายกฯ)

The current head of the Thai government, petitioned to seek legal clarification.

Pol. Gen. Surachate Hakparn(พล.ต.อ.สุรเชชษฐ์ หักพาล)ℹ️

Former Deputy Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police, involved in the gold bribe case, represented by his lawyer.

Sanya Phatchara Samart(นายสัญญาภัชระ สามารถ)

The lawyer representing Pol. Gen. Surachate Hakparn in the gold bribe case.

Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police(ผู้บัญชาการตำรวจแห่งชาติ)

The head of the Royal Thai Police, who will be petitioned to follow legal procedures.

Organization

Council of State(กฤษฎีกา)ℹ️

The legal advisory body of the Thai government, whose opinion is sought in the gold bribe case.

NACC(ป.ป.ช.)ℹ️

The National Anti-Corruption Commission, which returned the gold bribe case file stating it was outside their jurisdiction.

Office of the Prime Minister(สำนักงานปลัดสำนักนายกรัฐมนตรี)

The government office where the complaint was lodged.

Office of the Public Prosecutor(สำนักงานอัยการ)

An agency the police attempted to solicit opinions from regarding the gold bribe case.

Lawyers Council of Thailand(สภาทนายความ)ℹ️

An agency the police attempted to solicit opinions from regarding the gold bribe case.

Supreme Court(ศาลฎีกา)ℹ️

The court where the case should proceed if the Council of State finds grounds, according to the lawyer.

Place

Old Civil Service Commission Building(สำนัก ก.พ.หลังเก่า)

The location where the petition was submitted.

Law

Constitution(รัฐธรรมนูญ)ℹ️

The supreme law of Thailand, cited as clearly defining the jurisdiction for the gold bribe case.

Organic Act on Corruption Prevention and Suppression B.E. 2561(พ.ร.บ.ประกอบรัฐธรรมนูญว่าด้วยการป้องกันและปราบปรามการทุจริต พ.ศ.2561)

A relevant law cited by the lawyer that defines procedures for corruption cases.

Organic Act on Criminal Procedure for Political Office Holders B.E. 2560(พ.ร.บ.ประกอบรัฐธรรมนูญว่าด้วยวิธีพิจารณาคดีอาญาของผู้ดำรงตำแหน่งทางการเมือง พ.ศ.2560)

A relevant law cited by the lawyer that dictates criminal procedure for political office holders.