DSI attacked over 'unfair intervention'

Prominent members of the Democrat Party are preparing to take action against the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) over its questionable handling of two cases related to the main opposition party.
One of the cases concerns donations for flood victims that were directed via the Democrat Party’s bank account in late 2010, when the party was in government.
The other surrounds the awarding of a Bt190billion contract by Krungthep Thanakom, the legal investment arm of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), to Bangkok Mass Transit System – the current operator of the Skytrain system – this year.
At the helm of the BMA is Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra, a longtime and key member of the Democrats. Democrat MP Sathit Wongnongtaey yesterday urged Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Justice Minister Pracha Promnok and deputy prime ministers overseeing security matters to order the DSI to stop harassing the Democrat Party.
“The DSI has abused its authority. I believe it is trying to look for whatever grounds [it can find] to get the Democrat Party dissolved,” Sathit said.
He added that the agency had been investigating the donations for flood victims that were made via the party’s bank account in late 2010, even though this was not yet officially deemed to be a special case.
The DSI started looking into the matter after it was revealed that East Water Company, a staterun enterprise, was among the donors. Staterun businesses are not allowed by law to donate money to a political party, regardless of the purpose.
“I plan to call on the Office of the Ombudsman and the House committee on justice and human rights to investigate the DSI over its intervention in the donation case,” Sathit said.
Many donors have also been summoned by the DSI and they feel some of the questions they have been asked are inappropriate, he said, adding, “Some of them called me and cried. They fear they will be harassed.”
Asawas Apaiwong, a legal adviser to Deputy Bangkok Governor Thirachon Manomaipiboon, yesterday said Sukhumbhand was preparing to file a complaint against the DSI with the National AntiCorruption Commission, alleging that the agency had abused its authority.
“The legal team has been instructed to prepare relevant documents,” Asawas said. The move is related to the DSI’s intervention in the Skytrain contract case.
Asawas said the BMA had been summoned by 12 agencies and committees to provide an explanation about the contract, but only the DSI was continuing to comment publicly on the matter, and in a way that damaged the BMA’s reputation.
“The DSI is clearly trying to include the Skytrain contract as a special case,” he said. “But we are worried that the DSI will unfairly rule on the case.”
DSI chief Tharit Pengdit recently said Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit had confirmed that the authority to award the Skytrain contract lay with him, and not with the BMA or Krungthep Thanakom.
The DSI board has not yet decided whether to include the East Water donation and Skytrain contract as special cases.
However, word has been going around for a while that the DSI will act against the Democrat Party.