Yongyuth exoneration claim thrown in doubt

Deputy Interior Minister Chuchart Hansawat has denied any knowledge about a ministry committee's assertion that Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit is qualified for absolution under the 2007 Exoneration Act.

Mr Chuchart, in his capacity as chairman of the Ministry's Civil Service Committee, said the 2007 Exoneration Act had not been raised for discussion during a recent meeting of the committee.

"The committee did not consider the 2007 Act [in connection with Mr Yongyuth's status]. This story is unfounded. I am not aware of it," he said. "What I know is that it [the committee] has expelled a former [interior] permanent secretary. "

The deputy minister was responding to a motion raised by Democrat Party list-MP Ong-art Khampaibul during a parliamentary meeting yesterday.

Mr Chuchart said whatever resolution was reached at the meeting on Mr Yongyuth's case, he just endorsed it.

Mr Yongyuth is facing mounting pressure to resign as minister and Pheu Thai Party leader after the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) found him guilty of malfeasance.

The NACC says Mr Yongyuth acted unlawfully in his handling of the controversial Alpine land case while the then deputy permanent secretary for the interior was serving as acting permanent secretary in 2002.

The ministry's committee decided to expel Mr Yongyuth, with the expulsion order retroactively taking effect from Sept 30, 2002.

However, the committee has reportedly claimed that the expulsion is also retroactively overruled by the 2007 Act.

Interior permanent secretary Phranai Suwannarat, as deputy chairman of the ministry's Civil Service Committee, said the committee has notified the Civil Service Commission about Mr Yongyuth's expulsion.

Election Commission (EC) chairman Apichart Sukhagganond said the EC would check first if it was authorised to consider Mr Yongyuth's status.

If so, it would decide on the matter as soon as possible.

After ruling on the case, the EC would forward its decision to the Constitution Court, said the EC chairman.

Paijit Srivorakhan, a member of Pheu Thai's legal team, conceded the Yongyuth wrangle could lead to the party being dissolved as Mr Yongyuth serves as its leader.

Red-shirt co-leader Jatuporn Prompan yesterday said he did not know a Surin red shirts' group which has pressed Mr Yongyuth to resign as party leader. The group, led by Mr Theppanom Namlee, has petitioned the EC to rule on Mr Yongyuth's status.

Yesterday, the Pheu Thai Party also asked the EC to rule on Mr Yongyuth's eligibility to hold political office.

Another red-shirt co-leader and Pheu Thai list-MP Korkaew Pikulthong admitted there was internal pressure for Mr Yongyuth to step down. Many people are vying for the minister's post.

Share your thoughts

Discussion 1 : 28/09/2012 at 11:16 AM
The leeches are crawling all over each other.
Discussion 2 : 28/09/2012 at 09:45 AM
I deny any knowledge is a common phrase politicians use to avoid accountability .There are so many with shameless pasts in power its hard to keep track .
Discussion 3 : 28/09/2012 at 09:11 AM
Just a minimum of journalism would have been able to bring the facts to the readers, instead we have had around 10 stories on and around the same subject and yet the story is still not based on solid facts but just more rumors and reaction to rumors...how cool is that ?
Discussion 4 : 28/09/2012 at 08:54 AM
BP might have done a service by pointing out the relationship between the Deputy Interior Minister Chuchart Hansawat and one of the original Alpine shareholders with the same surname - what a tangled web we weave. Do not be too surpirsed if his committee suddenly realises the Exoneration Act does apply after all!!.
Discussion 5 : 28/09/2012 at 08:32 AM
"The committee did not consider the 2007 Act [in connection with Mr Yongyuth's status]. This story is unfounded. I am not aware of it," he said. "What I know is that it [the committee] has expelled a former [interior] permanent secretary. " - probably some scapegoat who only exists on paper. "The ministry's committee decided to expel Mr Yongyuth, with the expulsion order retroactively taking effect from Sept 30, 2002." - OK so why did it take 10 years to do anything about it....OHHH I forgot someone said that there is no corruption from politicians. And if it is found out, that person is conveniently fired. "However, the committee has reportedly claimed that the expulsion is also retroactively overruled by the 2007 Act." - So nice that politicians can hide behind so many get out of jail free cards if you are an MP. That is the problem, if you are an MP, rich or in a powerful position you can get off on just about anything. Be poor and go to prison for life for stealing a pack of gum.
Discussion 6 : 28/09/2012 at 08:29 AM
Discussion 8, Swearing an oath does not mean anything to some people. There is a case of perjury for a certain lady which is hiding somewhere.
Discussion 7 : 28/09/2012 at 08:25 AM
Discussion 1 wrote: "Would you choose a corrupt person to run your company?" My reply to that is that an honest government would not, however, I am sure that the 'Dalton Brothers' would not choose Luky Luke as their leader...
Discussion 8 : 28/09/2012 at 08:20 AM
Can any Thai government be taken seriously? Why do they swear an oath to work under codes of ethics when obviously they are rorting and stealing...its a ridiculous, revolving circus no matter which party serves as they're no working for the country.
Discussion 9 : 28/09/2012 at 08:15 AM
This is a conundrum for Peua Thai, since many posts are 'rewards' for loyalty rather competence. Given that he has been found guilty of Malfeasance he should be deemed unsuitable for a cabinet position and asked to step down, or be 'promoted' to an inactive post. Wishful thinking in Thailand. If they wanted to retroactively use the exoneration act, they would be tacitly supporting the 2007 Charter which includes another retroactively applied 'no appeal' law for political officers which is the one keeping Thaksin out of the country.
Discussion 10 : 28/09/2012 at 07:34 AM
"Many people are vying for the minister's post." And here I thought they were just concerned about doing the right thing.
Discussion 11 : 28/09/2012 at 07:29 AM
not only is yongyuth unfit for office,but the entire pt is unfit to run the country,its full of graft,white lies and broken pledges,its become a dictatoeship run by a criminal who is on the run,the sooner the EC commission disbanmds the pt and have fresh honest election so the thai nation can move forward and put this unethical and self serving regime into the past tense
Discussion 12 : 28/09/2012 at 07:06 AM
The longer that Thaksin is out of the country the less control he has over his allies and supporters and at some point they may decide that they no longer need him and will go their own way. That will be an interesting thing to see.
Discussion 13 : 28/09/2012 at 07:00 AM
Too many hungry woolfes and not enough food. What a joy to sit and see how they lacerate each other.
Discussion 14 : 28/09/2012 at 06:31 AM
The frankensteins are awakening. Don't mess with the UDD Khun Yongyuth.
Discussion 15 : 28/09/2012 at 06:20 AM
It is no wonder that Thaksin wants to reduce the powers of the courts and to change the law about parties being dissolved when their leaders are found to be corrupt. He can't seem to run a government without there being massive corruption. Doesn't that say something about the party's leader, which the people should be concerned about? Would you choose a corrupt person to run your company?

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