Sithichot explains minority vote on Bhumjaithai Senate collusion case

MGR Online•Politics•16h ago

Reader Briefing

Sithichot Intharawiset, an Election Commission member and former Supreme Court judge, detailed his reasons for dissenting from the majority decision to dismiss a case involving Bhumjaithai Party members in a Senate election collusion probe.

•The Election Commission voted 5 to 2 on September 14 to dismiss a petition regarding Senate election collusion involving Bhumjaithai Party politicians and executives.
•Sithichot Intharawiset and Chai Na Nakhon were the two members who voted that evidence was sufficient to proceed with the case.
•Sithichot Intharawiset cited evidence including 12 sets of 'cheat sheets' (phoy), CCTV footage from June 26, 2024, and financial trails as reasons for his stance.
•The case involves testimony from Ekarat Changlao, a former Bhumjaithai MP, who later retracted his statements.

Overview

•Sithichot Intharawiset is a lawyer and former Supreme Court judge who previously served as the head of the election case division in the Supreme Court.
•On September 14, the Election Commission majority voted 5 to 2 to dismiss a petition regarding Senate election collusion involving Bhumjaithai Party members.
•Sithichot Intharawiset argued that the discovery of 12 sets of 'cheat sheets' across multiple provinces, including Nakhon Si Thammarat and Phuket, indicates systemic fraud rather than isolated incidents.
•Sithichot Intharawiset asserted that CCTV footage from June 26, 2024, and data on phones prove that 'cheat sheets' existed before the investigation began.
•Sithichot Intharawiset observed that the retraction of testimony by witness Ekarat Changlao should not invalidate other circumstantial evidence.
•Sithichot Intharawiset noted that financial trails in Prachuap Khiri Khan showing transfers to Surat Thani suggest the investigation has not been fully completed.
•Sithichot Intharawiset pointed to a meeting on July 21, 2024, where new Senators and political party members met at a Bangkok hotel to discuss Senate leadership.
•The September 14 decision is final at the Election Commission level, and the process now moves to the court.

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 Entities

Person

Sithichot Intharawiset(สิทธิโชติ อินทรวิเศษ)

An Election Commission member and former Supreme Court judge who voted to proceed with the Bhumjaithai Senate collusion case.

Chai Na Nakhon(ชาย ณ นคร)

An Election Commission member who voted alongside Sithichot Intharawiset to proceed with the case against Bhumjaithai members.

Ekarat Changlao(เอกราช ช่างเหลา)

A former Bhumjaithai MP and witness who retracted his testimony in the collusion case.

Direk Pornsima(ดิเรก พรสีมา)

A former Senate candidate in Maha Sarakham province who provided information consistent with witness Ekarat Changlao.

Organization

Election Commission(กกต.)

The body responsible for investigating Senate election collusion and issuing the September 14 resolution.

Bhumjaithai Party(พรรคภูมิใจไทย)ℹ️

The political party whose executives and politicians were subjects of the Senate election collusion petition.

Supreme Court(ศาลฎีกา)ℹ️

The court where Sithichot Intharawiset previously served as a judge and head of the election case division.

Ramkhamhaeng University(รามคำแหง)ℹ️

The institution from which Sithichot Intharawiset earned a Bachelor of Laws.

NIDA

The institution from which Sithichot Intharawiset earned a Master of Public Administration.