Bangkok: Parit Wacharasindhu, a Member of Parliament and Deputy Leader of the People's Party, continues to forge ahead with his allegations of collusion in the Senate election process, undeterred by a defamation lawsuit filed against him by Deputy Prime Minister Songsak Thongsri's lawyer in Bueng Kan province. He is determined to present new evidence in the Senate collusion case, which he believes will highlight discrepancies in the election process.
According to Thai News Agency, the defamation lawsuit stems from Parit's disclosure of information provided by Sananchai Chuay-udomthanikij, a former Senate candidate and a key witness. Sananchai alleged at an opposition whip meeting that he was part of a scheme to hire individuals to run for Senate seats, spearheaded by Senator Sorachat Wichaya Suwanphrom. Sananchai also claimed that Songsak, the then Deputy Minister of Interior, was informed about the list of Senate candidates involved in the scheme.
Despite these allegations, Senator Sorachat admitted to his friendship with Songsak and acknowledged phone conversations with him during the Senate election. However, he denied discussing the election process with Songsak.
Parit remains resolute in his investigation into the Senate corruption case. He plans to reveal further evidence to challenge Mr. Sorachat's credibility and raise questions about Mr. Songsak's possible awareness or involvement in the alleged scheme. Parit intends to present new evidence that connects Mr. Sorachat with Senator Pornphem Thongsri, Songsak's brother, highlighting their electoral success in Group 13 of the Senate election.
The evidence suggests potential collusion, as the ballot information aligns with pre-arranged voting slips, showing consistent candidate numbers for Mr. Sorachat and Mr. Pornphem. The slips reveal a pattern where both candidates consistently appear together, with a significant percentage of votes shared between them, indicating a possible scheme.
Parit argues that the matching patterns of numbers on voting slips and ballot papers constitute credible evidence of fraud. He urges the Election Commission to fulfill its duty under Section 62 of the Organic Act on the Acquisition of Senate Membership and refer the matter to the court for a comprehensive investigation into the alleged wrongdoing.