NACC to refer impeachment case against Yingluck to the NLA

Members of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) made the decision by a majority vote at their meeting, according to NACC secretary-general Sansern Poljieak. He did not reveal the vote result.

Sansern said the NACC members discussed yesterday whether to submit the agency’s investigation report into the allegation of dereliction of duty against the previous PM to the assembly. The majority of the NACC members agreed that although the constitution of 2007 was abolished after the coup, the anti-corruption law still exists, which makes it possible to impeach political office holders, Sansern said.

He also noted that the NLA recently issued regulations empowering the assembly to consider impeachment cases, the power given to the now-defunct Senate under the old constitution.

Unlike the previous constitution, the post-coup provisional charter does not clearly specify the legislative assembly’s power to impeach political office holders. This has led to questions as to whether the NLA has the power to do this. 

However, NLA chairman Pornpetch Wichitcholchai has maintained that the interim charter empowers the assembly to act as the Senate and therefore it has the power inherited from the previous Upper House.

Politicians from Yingluck’s Pheu Thai Party plan to take the matter to the Constitutional Court for a ruling as to whether the NLA has the power to impeach her.

The NACC earlier forwarded separate impeachment cases against former House speaker Somsak Kiartsuranont and former Senate speaker Nikom Wairatpanit to the NLA. 

The assembly is expected to debate next week whether to impeach them, deputy NLA president Surachai Liengboonlertchai said yesterday.