Group seeks probe of ex-PM's broadcast on channel 11

The petition was received by National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) assistant secretary-general Witthaya Arkompitak.
Group coordinator Chaturun Boonbenjarat accused Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, PM’s Office Minister Sansanee Nakpong and PRD chief Theerapong Sodasri of misconduct under Article 157 of the Penal Code.
According to the complaint, the prime minister, minister and senior officials erred in allowing former prime minister Thaksin, who is Yingluck’s brother, to appear on state-run television during a live broadcast of a boxing match in Macau on Sunday night.
Chaturun said the government could not avoid responsibility for its involvement in the incident. The station sold the airtime to a private operator, so it was responsible for checking the programme details before approving the airing of the show.
“Thaksin and people around him conspired to allow his appearance on state television,” Chaturun said.
In a separate development, PRD chief Theerapong invited Pol Lt-Colonel Kunthon Prachuabmoh, who rented the airtime to air the boxing match, to explain the live broadcast.
Theerapong said Kunthon had apologised to Yingluck, Sansanee and all those who had been criticised for their involvement with airing the Thai-boxing programme, but insisted the match organiser proceeded in line with the laws and staged the event for the people’s benefit.
The department, which controls the state media, will work carefully to prevent a recurrence, which could develop into a further political conflict in the country, he said.