NLA hears impeachment case against 38 former senators
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THIRTY-EIGHT FORMER senators and the National Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday faced questions from the National Legislative Assembly during impeachment proceedings over the senators voting to amend the 2007 charter to change the composition of the Se
NLA vice president Surachai Liengboonlertchai chaired the meeting to question the senators as the accused and the NACC as the complainant.
The NACC accused the politicians of abuse of power for voting to pass the amendment even though they knew the bill was a different version from the one they had endorsed for amendment.
The NACC was asked why the agency filed the complaint even though the 2007 charter had been revoked.
The NACC was asked if one member was qualified to make a decision on the matter as he had failed to resign from a state agency before a given time after being appointed an NACC member.
The NACC was also asked if another member was qualified to decide on the case as she had yet to be royally endorsed.
The NACC was asked why it did not accept the senators’ answer that they did not realise the bill they voted to pass was different from the bill they had endorsed to change.
The body was also asked to comment on how it believed the senators’ alleged wrongdoing impacted on democracy and how did the accused benefit from the passing the amendment.
The amendment stated that senators could contest another term without taking a political break.
NACC member Vichai Vivitsevi replied that although the 2007 charter was revoked, the Anti-Corruption Act 1999 was still in force.
He said that although the 38 were no longer senators, if they were impeached they would be banned from politics for five years.
Vichai also said there were no legality issues over the qualification of the two NACC members.
He said the ex-senators had abused their power and violated the charter, which were offences under Article 58 of the Anti-Corruption Act 1999.
He said the agency did not accept their claim that they did not know the bill was a different version from the one they had endorsed because copies of the bill would have been distributed to all lawmakers publicly before it was amended.
He said the senators put democracy and the country’s rule of law in jeopardy.
Former Nakhon Phanom senator Withaya I-nala said there was just one version of the charter amendment bill tabled for deliberation, which was the same one that 308 parliamentarians had endorsed. He said then-Nonthaburi senator Udomdej Rattansatien made one change to the bill before it was tabled to Parliament.
He denied that the senators had a conflict of interest in seeking to amend the charter.
The NLA has scheduled Saturday for the closing statements and the assembly will vote on whether to impeachment the 38 on Monday.
