New president of Supreme Administrative Court named
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Piya Patangtha has been royally endorsed as the new president of the Supreme Administrative Court effective from March 31, according to the Royal Gazette published on Monday.
The Administrative Court’s judiciary committee selected Piya, who was previously the court’s vice president, to replace Hassawut Withitwiriyakul. On March 3, the National Legislative Assembly voted unanimously in favour of Piya taking over as president.
Hassawut was dismissed from his post by the judicial commission in September last year for allegedly being involved in a police promotion scandal.
The former president allegedly had Direkrit Jenkrongtham, secretary-general of the Office of the Administrative Court, send two letters - one to the national police chief and the other to a deputy national police chief - to show his support for the promotion of Pol Lt-Colonel Chutharet Yingyongdamrongkul to police superintendent. Chutharet was deputy superintendent for crime suppression at Hua Mark Police Station.
A fact-finding panel set up by the judicial commission indicated that there was sufficient evidence showing that Hassawut had acknowledged and supported Direkrit’s move to send the two letters.
