NACC urges five-year ban for Suthep

[Khun Don]

NACC urges five-year ban for Suthep
Published: 27/07/2012 at 01:42 AMNewspaper section: News

The National Anti-Corruption Commission has found Suthep Thaugsuban guilty of overreaching his authority.

He interfered in the work of the Culture Ministry while serving as deputy prime minister in the previous government under Abhisit Vejjajiva, it found.

The finding could lead to his being banned from politics for five years.

Klanarong Chanthik, a NACC member and spokesman, said the commission at a meeting Thursday agreed that Mr Suthep had overstepped his authority in violation of the constitution.

The NACC investigated the matter after a group of Pheu Thai MPs, totalling at least one-fourth of the entire number of MPs in the house, filed a petition with the senate speaker seeking the removal of Mr Suthep, formerly secretary-general of the Democrat Party, as deputy prime minister.

In the petition, Mr Suthep was accused of having overstepped his authority when he sent a letter in his capacity as deputy prime minister to the culture minister at the time asking to send 19 people, including Democrat MPs and others, to work at the Culture Ministry. The letter was dated Feb 25, 2009.

Even though Mr Suthep sent his staff to ask for the letter back from the Culture Ministry on Mar 3, 2009 because the culture minister refused to accept MPs working at the ministry, the NACC still considered that the offence had already been committed, Mr Klanarong said.

The act was deemed as interference in the work of permanent officials designed to further the interests of a political party, in breach of Sections 266 and 268 of the constitution.

Mr Klanarong said the NACC would forward its findings to the senate speaker, recommending the removal of Mr Suthep as deputy prime minister and to ban him from politics for five years as stipulated by the constitution.

If the senate agrees with the NACC's recommendation, Mr Suthep would face only a five-year political ban, since he no longer holds the post. The Senate can decide to remove him from his prior position retroactively, but without real enforcement.

BANGKOK POST

[Khun Don]

Suthep will quit politics if banned
Published: 27/07/2012 at 12:07 PMOnline news: Local News


Democrat MP for Surat Thani and former deputy prime minister Suthep Thuagsuban said on Friday that he would quit politics if the Senate rules he abused his power while in government.

The former secretary-general of the main opposition party said he would accept the rule of law and the ruling to be made by the Senate.

"I'm now 64 and if I'm banned [from politics] for five years I'll be 69 by then, which is probably too old," Mr Suthep said. "I would take care of my grandchildren if I'm banned."

The opposition MP said he had to respect the National Anti-Corruption Commission's ruling that he was guilty of overreaching his authority.

"I'm not worried about the decision to be made by the Senate and will continue performing my current duty," he said.

The NACC said Mr Suthep had interfered in the work of permanent officials at the Culture Ministry in February 2009 while serving as deputy prime minister in the previous government, led by Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva.

The finding could lead to his being banned from politics for five years if upheld by the Senate.

The NACC will forward its findings to the senate speaker, recommending the removal of Mr Suthep as deputy prime minister and a five-year ban from politics as stipulated by the constitution.

If the Senate agrees with the NACC's recommendation, Mr Suthep would face only a five-year political ban, since he no longer holds the position of depuyprime minister.

The Senate can decide to remove him from his prior position retroactively, but without real enforcement.

BANGKOK POST