Bangkok: The heated stock concealment scandal involving Saksiam has prompted the opposition and senators to urge the Speaker of Parliament to send the case to the Supreme Court to prosecute the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).
According to Thai News Agency, the opposition, in alliance with senators, demanded that the Speaker of Parliament refer the case to the Supreme Court to establish an independent investigative committee to prosecute the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) regarding the alleged concealment of shares by Prime Minister Saksayam. Mr. Parit Wacharasindhu, Chairman of the Coordinating Committee of Opposition Parties in the House of Representatives, along with Mr. Pakornwut Udompipatkul, MP from the People's Party, Ms. Nantana Nantavaropas, Senator, and others, held a press conference today to demand an update from the Speaker of Parliament regarding the progress of the petition accusing members of the NACC of malfeasance in office.
Mr. Parit stated that on June 5th, over 140 members of the opposition coalition and some senators, exercising their rights under Article 236 of the Constitution, filed a complaint against the NACC for alleged misconduct in dismissing the case regarding the concealment of shares by Mr. Saksayam Chidchob. The allegations against the NACC are divided into four main points: flawed investigation procedures, serious misjudgment of judgment, concealment of information related to the investigation, and failure to investigate other related charges, particularly the conflict of interest offense under Section 126 of the Anti-Corruption Act.
In terms of process, after filing the allegations, the Speaker of Parliament has two options: either forward the petition to the President of the Supreme Court for an independent investigative committee to investigate the accused NACC commissioners, or dismiss the petition. The purpose of today's press conference is to inquire about the progress through two key questions: When will the Speaker of Parliament make a decision, and how will that decision be made? There is no specified timeframe for the Speaker's decision, but the opposition urges a decision within this week, coinciding with the parliamentary recess.
Regarding the decision process, Article 236 of the Constitution stipulates that the Speaker must forward the matter to the President of the Supreme Court if there are reasonable grounds to suspect wrongdoing. If the Speaker decides to dismiss the petition, they must explain why only a few people have no doubts about the NACC's conduct in this case.
Ms. Nanthana Nanthavaropas, representing independent senators who co-signed the petition, noted the 33-day delay in the process and expressed concerns over possible cronyism or a "blue regime." She emphasized the need for the Speaker to act under Section 236, which does not allow arbitrary dismissal of the petition, and warned of potential legal action if delays persist.
Mr. Pakornwut Udompipatkul highlighted his previous request for documents related to Mr. Saksiam's case from the NACC, noting the lack of response within the 15-day timeframe. He warned of pursuing legal actions if a response is not received soon and advised the NACC to uphold transparency and accountability to maintain public trust.