CHARTER COURT

Constitution Court president to resign : source

By Attayuth Butrsripoom

The Nation

Chat Chonlavorn is preparing to resign as president and member of the Constitution Court over the YouTube scandal involving his secretary, a court source said yesterday.

However, when Chat would step down was not revealed.

Charoon Inthajarn, the most senior judge, is expected to become the acting president, said the source, who asked not to be named.

Chat had also promised his colleagues that he would serve for only three years, the source said. He took over as president on May 28, 2008.

For the new president, two judges are also under consideration besides Charoon - Wasant Soipisut, who ran against Chat three years ago but whose straightforward and blunt personality has many people concerned, and Charan Pakditanakul, who has good credibility with the public but is not accepted by the red shirts.

The Constitution Court was hearing two dissolution cases against the Democrat Party last year when videos were posted on YouTube featuring his then-secretary Pasit Sakdanarong and some judges allegedly discussing irregularities in the court's work.

Pasit is no longer Chat's secretary.

On the possibility that the Bt258-million case against the Democrats would be resubmitted to the court, the source said new evidence must be presented, as the court had already cited the political party registrar as stating that the case lacked grounds to be heard.

The court dropped both cases for procedural reasons and cleared the party over factual aspects in the Bt29-million EC funds case.

-- The Nation 2011-01-04

Surprised no comments on this - certainly an interesting story. A show of accountability? Maybe..

I certainly can VAINLY hope that

this is just the beginning that those high ranking officers in various govt agencies

will take some personal responsibilities to resign voluntarily when there is a problem

concerning their job creditabilities or details, be it of a personal nature or otherwise.

You are a good man, Judge, setting a very good example, sir.

And I salute you from the bottom of my heart.