BANGKOK, Thailand – A group of 105 senators has signed a petition to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) against Police Colonel Thawee Sodsong, Minister of Justice, and Police Major Colonel Yutthana Praedam, Director-General of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), accusing them of misconduct under Section 157 of the Criminal Code. The complaint alleges that the DSI improperly classified the Senate election collusion case as a special case, despite lacking jurisdiction, and claims this move was intended to intimidate senators.
Leading the petition submission was Police Major General Chattawat Saengphet, a senator, along with 81 fellow senators. They presented the petition to Saroj Phuengrampan, Secretary-General of the NACC, calling for an investigation into the actions of the justice minister and the DSI chief. They argued that the DSI’s acceptance of the Senate election collusion case as a special case on March 6 was baseless, as the Election Commission (EC) is the only body with the authority to rule on such matters.
Maj. Gen. Chattawat criticized the decision, questioning the basis for estimating the case’s worth at 300 million baht. He also accused the DSI of deliberately leaking senator names to create fear. He asserted that the current Senate appointment process was lawful and that the DSI’s actions were politically motivated. He called for the NACC, the Constitutional Court, and the Administrative Court to clarify whether the DSI had the authority to investigate the matter before proceeding further.
He further argued that the accusations by Justice Minister Thawee and the DSI had tarnished the Senate’s reputation, painting them as corrupt despite the EC’s certification of their appointments. He accused the DSI of overstepping its authority by investigating election-related matters instead of forwarding them to the EC.
Maj. Gen. Chattawat also made an analogy, likening the DSI chief to a cat controlled by a hidden hand. “It’s like a cat being told which rats to catch. But one day, the cat may be thrown into water to catch fish, forgetting that it cannot swim—leading to its downfall,” he said, warning that the DSI chief could face legal consequences.
Regarding calls to dissolve the DSI, he stated that this was merely a proposal from a Senate committee’s study report and would be further considered by the Senate’s constitutional independent agencies committee, which he chairs.
When asked about speculation that the case was an attempt to shift Senate loyalties from blue to red, Maj. Gen. Chattawat dismissed it as baseless political commentary. He also refuted claims that this was a political retaliation, arguing that senators were the real victims of injustice.
He concluded by reaffirming that the Senate was committed to protecting the country’s institutions and would continue to fight against what they saw as political interference. (TNA)
