Supreme Court orders former House speaker Yongyuth to return over Bt600,000

The Supreme Court upheld the ruling of the lower courts that Yontyuth had to return the special allowance of Bt50,000 per month to the House Secretariat after he was disqualified as an MP by the Supreme Court in July 2008. The Supreme Court ruled that his election as party-list MP on December 23 2007 was invalid as he was not qualified.

The Supreme Court also ruled that his two aides – Kamol Bandaiphet, former advisor to the House speaker, and Nawin Boonset, former secretary to the Parliament president, did not have to return their allowances to the secretariat as their appointment orders were valid.

Moreover, the court ruled, Kamol and Nawin were not MPs so they were not required by the 2007 charter, which was enforced at that time, to return their allowances.