COURT DECLINES TO REVIEW G2G RICE SALES
The Constitution Court yesterday decided not to launch a judicial review on whether the government-to-government sale of rice violated the charter.
In a unanimous decision, the court said the petition had failed to cite any specific contract as evidence, and hence the judges had no way of knowing what they would be ruling on.
A group of 67 senators sought court intervention on the government’s controversial rice-pledging scheme.
They demanded that the rice sale be publicly disclosed after |the government defended |the scheme by citing its success |in marking up the price via |transactions with other governments.
In a move to force disclosure, the senators asked for judicial opinion on whether the government-to-government transaction should be construed as an international agreement that requires vetting by the House.
Court spokesman Pimol Thampitakpong said that under court procedures, a judicial decision cannot be made on an assumption or an idea without a specific document or evidence.
The high court also rejected a petition questioning the qualifications of former Pheu Thai MP Yongyuth Wichaidit. The ruling said since Yongyuth had resigned his House seat and the case did not merit a review.
In another development, |the Senate has forwarded a petition signed by 40 senators seeking a judicial review of the qualifications of PM’s Office Minister Varathep Ratanakorn. The senators contend that Varathep may not be fit to serve because of his 2009 conviction in relation to a lottery case.
Under the Constitution, politicians need to wait five years after a conviction before seeking state employment. Court clerks will vet the petition before adding it to the high court’s docket.
