Red-shirt campaign ‘will not pressure NACC’

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Red-shirt campaign ‘will not pressure NACC’

By THE NATION

 

 

A SIGNATURE campaign involving 1 million supporters is unlikely to force the anti-graft agency to review its investigation into former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his then deputy Suthep Thaugsuban for alleged murder in connection with the 2010 fatal crackdown on red-shirt protesters, a constitution drafter said yesterday.

 

Udom Rathamarit, a member of the Constitution Drafting Commission, said that under the new charter, a million signatures against the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) could result in its members being removed from office for malfeasance. But such a campaign was not a proper legal procedure for the NACC to revive its case or appeal against a court ruling, he added.

 

His comment came after United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) leader Nattawut Saikua on Thursday threatened to collect as many as 1 million signatures to endorse a petition with an elected Lower House against the NACC if the agency failed to take action regarding the case. He cited the new charter.

 

Section 236 of the new Constitution states that a petition supported by at least 20,000 people is required to take action against the NACC for malfeasance, in a case to be heard by the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders. 

 

The NACC became a target after the Supreme Court on Thursday acquitted Abhisit and Suthep of murder and attempted murder in connection with an operation by security forces to disperse anti-government demonstrators in 2010. The decision pointed out that the NACC, which turned down the case in 2015, should take charge of the matter.

 

Following the court’s decision, Nattawut said the NACC should reconsider the case and bring the two to justice.

 

This was especially when the agency was considering appealing against the Supreme Court for Political Office Holders’ recent verdict that Thaksin camp officials were innocent in the case related to the crackdown on yellow-shirt protesters in 2008, Nattawut said, implying that both sides should receive the same treatment.

 

In pursuit of justice for the victims of the 2010 crackdown, Nattawut called for the NACC to take action or the red shirts would sue them for malfeasance.

 

Meanwhile, the NACC are looking into the petition filed by the red shirts to revive the case against Abhisit and Suthep.

 

The agency could reinvestigate the case if any new evidence were to be presented, said NACC president Pol General Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit yesterday.

 

NACC officials have been ordered to examine evidence submitted by the UDD and see whether it was new and different from that seen in 2015, Watcharapol said. It would rule whether or not to reconsider the case, he added.

 

In response to the UDD’s threat to petition against the agency, the NACC president said it was not pressured and would continue doing its job in accordance with the law. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30325542

 

 

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