Charter court takes on case of revoking Thammanat’s MP status

By The Nation

 

 

The Constitutional Court on Wednesday (June 17) took on the case of Deputy Agriculture Minister Thammanat Prompao to see if his MP status should be revoked.

 

The minister has been given 15 days to come up with a counter argument.

 

Thammanat is being attacked by the opposition in relation to a court case in Australia, in which he was charged and sentenced to six years in jail for importing and trafficking drugs in the 1990s.

 

He served four years in jail Down Under before being deported to Thailand. According to the Constitution’s Article 98 (10), no MP or minister can serve office if they have a criminal record.

 

Full story: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30389790

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-06-18

 

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Get that  blooooody  great carpet and broom ready Khun Prayut

no MP or minister can serve office if they have a criminal record

 

Am I missing the bleedin obvious here ? Why is he still an MP? How did he get to be an MP in the first place.

 

 

29 minutes ago, Chelseafan said:

no MP or minister can serve office if they have a criminal record

 

Am I missing the bleedin obvious here ? Why is he still an MP? How did he get to be an MP in the first place.

 

 

Plausible deniability. The offences happened in a different country when he had a different name.

5 minutes ago, Chang_paarp said:

Plausible deniability. The offences happened in a different country when he had a different name.

So on top of being a drug smuggler, he is also a liar and swindler.

On second thoughts politics probably suits him then.

 

 

So the charter court have taken on the case, means nothing, as he is 1 of the in crowd cronies, it will be talked about, then brushed aside and be forgotten about.

1 hour ago, Chelseafan said:

no MP or minister can serve office if they have a criminal record

 

Am I missing the bleedin obvious here ? Why is he still an MP? How did he get to be an MP in the first place.

Shock, gasp part, the real naughty stuff happened before the Australian Heroin arrest, or the fake credentials. Yep there is something worse, which he was arrested for and then suddenly released. Interestingly you have a real hard time getting info on that case.  Now you are saying what could be worse than smuggling heroin ?! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This whole charade absolutely epitomises this government and Thai 'politics' to a tee. I use the word 'politics' very loosely. 

 

The man is a convicted international class A drug smuggler and has also been found to have fake qualifications. Yet he will most likely remain a government minister. 

 

It is the sort of thing you would see in a satirical comedy, yet here it is actually real. Farcical. 

Coming into Sydney Airport

Hoping that I don't get caught

Don't touch my bags if you please

Mr Customs man!

I see he is another one with plenty of expensive Jewlry; no doubt 'borrowed' or given to him by dead men !

2 hours ago, LomSak27 said:

Shock, gasp part, the real naughty stuff happened before the Australian Heroin arrest, or the fake credentials. Yep there is something worse, which he was arrested for and then suddenly released. Interestingly you have a real hard time getting info on that case.  Now you are saying what could be worse than smuggling heroin ?!

'Now you are saying what could be worse than smuggling heroin'

Obviously getting caught smuggling it.

Wonder why he hasn’t been suspended like  Thanatorn was. Guess you can’t have people who may or may not have had media shares transferred on time to serve as MPs. That would be immoral. As for people with known-drug offenses, that’s fine. Good moral compass there, Thailand. 
 

Anyhoo, it will be very interesting to see the courts reasoning as to why he’s fit to continue being a minster. 

17 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Now you are saying what could be worse than smuggling heroin'

Obviously getting caught smuggling it.

I am not joking - and it has nothing to do with heroin! If you can't get this, you are not on my pub quiz team. 

 

 

Edited June 18, 20206 yr by LomSak27

I'd wager that the Constitutional Court will eventually close the case ruling that they are unable to judge on cases committed abroad.

2 minutes ago, edwinchester said:

I'd wager that the Constitutional Court will eventually close the case ruling that they are unable to judge on cases committed abroad.

Late breaking news: Dr Crippen named as a government advisor.

5 hours ago, Chelseafan said:

no MP or minister can serve office if they have a criminal record

 

Am I missing the bleedin obvious here ? Why is he still an MP? How did he get to be an MP in the first place.

 

 

He is a stand-over man, a gangster, same as all the other politicians here.

 

That's how you get to be in charge in Thailand.

1 hour ago, edwinchester said:

I'd wager that the Constitutional Court will eventually close the case ruling that they are unable to judge on cases committed abroad.

Absolutely. It is clear this guy is a serious player and I am guessing he has a lot of dirt of this regime and the establishment that he could share if he was 'wronged'. 

 

Like another poster said, the secret story online about him is very telling about who he really is. 

 

 

 

8 hours ago, webfact said:

no MP or minister can serve office if they have a criminal record.

Yeah, but the of the list of 2 candidates , he was the best choice

2 hours ago, edwinchester said:

I'd wager that the Constitutional Court will eventually close the case ruling that they are unable to judge on cases committed abroad.

A defense might be made that under Thai laws, he is not a convicted criminal. Clearly, the Thai Constitution applies the Thai rule of law to Thai citizens. What crimes he committed with time served outside of Thailand under another nation's rule of law should be "beyond the pale." 

7 hours ago, Chelseafan said:

no MP or minister can serve office if they have a criminal record

 

Am I missing the bleedin obvious here ? Why is he still an MP? How did he get to be an MP in the first place.

 

 

Good question, answer is that the law just applies to the opposition... Is it just me, or did they drag their feet with this case, as we already knew this a long time ago. Apparently there is a difference in prosecution speed between the opposition and the coalition partners as well....

Edited June 18, 20206 yr by sjaak327

12 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

A defense might be made that under Thai laws, he is not a convicted criminal. Clearly, the Thai Constitution applies the Thai rule of law to Thai citizens. What crimes he committed with time served outside of Thailand under another nation's rule of law should be "beyond the pale." 

Oh the irony. I would have thought that being a criminal under Thai law does not really carry much weight. But a convicted crimial under a true justice system should carry quite a bit of more weight ????

15 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

A defense might be made that under Thai laws, he is not a convicted criminal. Clearly, the Thai Constitution applies the Thai rule of law to Thai citizens. What crimes he committed with time served outside of Thailand under another nation's rule of law should be "beyond the pale." 

By that rationale, all demands for criminal record checks and records should not be required for visa and permanent residency applications in Thailand, given that convictions overseas are not recognised under Thai law.

 

There are several problems with the Thai criminal records system. The foremost being criminal records not having a functional centralised database, and records of even serious felony convictions being forgotten about if not correctly handled by local Police. 

 

Widely open to systematic abuse. 

1 hour ago, BobbyL said:

Absolutely. It is clear this guy is a serious player and I am guessing he has a lot of dirt of this regime and the establishment that he could share if he was 'wronged'. 

 

I think you are correct, but I don't think he would risk it as the black car or a pillion rider may be waiting for him at his home for him and his family. 

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Thammanat is being attacked by the opposition in relation to a court case in Australia, in which he was charged and sentenced to six years in jail for importing and trafficking drugs in the 1990s.

 

He served four years in jail Down Under before being deported to Thailand. According to the Constitution’s Article 98 (10), no MP or minister can serve office if they have a criminal record

There will be loophole of course.. 

11 hours ago, webfact said:

 

The minister has been given 15 days to come up with a counter argument

Only 15 days .. How long did Prawit get to come up with the dead buddies borrucks .. and yet this chap who's only been convicted for running H into Aus' get's but a fortnight to come up his .. One rule for dead people's watch keepers and another for convicted international smack runners I'd suggest ..