Two Former Election Commissioners Charged With Graft

[laukra]

Court rules 4 years jail for 3 election commissioners

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's Criminal Court Tuesday ruled four-year jail terms for the country's three embattled election commissioners, finding them guilty of misconduct and banning them from playing any official part in organising and supervising the country's elections for 10 years.

The three commissioners--Pol. Gen. Vasana Puemlap, Prinya Nakchudtree and Virachai Naewboonnien--though accepting the court's verdict, vowed to fight the case in the Court of Appeal.

The trio were charged in a case lodged by Deputy Secretary General of the opposition Democrat Party Thaworn Senniam of violating Article 157 of the Criminal Law and the Articles 24 and 42 of the statute regarding the election agency for misconduct in organising the April 23 by-election without a legal mandate and in circulating a letter to provincial election commissioners favouring ruling Thai Rak Thai (TRT) Party candidates who failed to win 20 per cent of the total eligible vote.

--TNA 2006-07-25

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/EC-Guilty-t76815.html&hl=

Prison guards escort convicted election commissioner Virachai Naewboonnien to Chulalongkorn Hospital for dialysis treatment yesterday. He accepted a white rose from nurses before being taken back to Bangkok Remand Prison.

Source: The Nation - 27 July 2006

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/EC-Guilty-t76815.html&hl=

He and the other former EC commissioners were subsequently bailed out from prison after spending 3 days of their 4 year sentence behind bars. They've never been returned to prison. Now, they face other, new charges.

Two ex-EC officers charged with graft

Prosecutors have indicted two former members of the Election Commission accusing them of giving themselves an unlawful pay increase. Prinya Nakchudtree and Virachai Naewboonnien have been charged with abuse of authority and graft under the Criminal Code and anti-corruption law for approving the salary rises.

Mr Prinya and Mr Virachai are accused in the indictments, along with three others, including former EC chairman Vasana Permlarp, of approving an unlawful pay rise of 20,000 baht on Aug 16, 2004.

The Criminal Court yesterday accepted the lawsuit and set aside Oct 12 to examine witnesses and evidence. It released the defendants on bail of 120,000 baht each.

More @

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/2...rged-with-graft

[geovalin]

Increase his own salary is more fair and honest and far less expensive for the population than to be corrupted.

[laukra]

Two ex-Election Commissioners released on bail over malfeasance

The Nation Sep 1, 2009

Former Election Commissioners Prinya Nakchadtree and Virachai Naewboonnien on Tuesday were released on bail after they were taken to the Criminal Court to be tried on charges of malfeasance for giving themselves a monthly allowance of Bt20,000.

The two were among 20 ex-top officials comprising 13 former Constitution Court judges, four former Election Commissioners, and three ex-ombudsmen whom the Attorney-General decided to indict for having violated Article 157 and Article 83 of the Criminal Court and Article 4 of the National Counter Corruption Commission for awarding themselves a monthly allowance.

Special Litigation Director-General Seksan Bangsombun said his department had notified the NCCC to issue notice to the remaining suspects to report themselves to prosecutors.

He said the prosecutors did not take the suspects to the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holder as they did to former NCCC commissioners who were convicted on similar charge because the law stipulated that only the NCCC had to be tried at the particular court, others would be tried at the Criminal Court.

The court is scheduled to check evidence on October 12.

The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders sentenced each of the nine former NCCC commissioners to two-year suspension after they were convicted of malfeasance for giving themselves a pay rise.

Edited September 1, 2009 by laukra

[animatic]

It almost like an annual rite.

Two more Election Commissioners go to court.

No need even to wait for a post election year.