Two former EC members jailed two years for helping Thai Rak Thai

The Supreme Court upheld lower courts’ conviction against Wassana Permlarp and Prinya Nakchattree that they abused authority to delay an investigation that the Thai Rak Thai hired two smaller parties to contest the 2006 election.

Former Democrat secretary general Suthep Thaugsuban filed the lawsuit against Wassana, Prinya and Veerachai Naewboonnian, alleging them with violating both the Criminal Code and election law by dragging feet related to complaints against the Thai Rak Thai. The charges against Veerachai were dropped after he died.

The Thai Rak Thai was alleged with hiring the Karn Paendin Thai and Pattana Chart Thai to contest the April 2 2006 election after the Democrat and other opposition parties boycotted the poll on ground that it was unfairly held.

The Criminal Court and Appeals Court found Wassana and Prinya guilty and sentenced them to two years in jail and slapped a ten-year election ban against them.

The Supreme Court earlier planned to read the final verdict on April 20 but Prinya sent his lawyer to the court to ask for a postponement, claiming he was not well. The Supreme Court issued an arrest warrant against him and ordered the seizure of his bail money of Bt120,000.

The Supreme Court decided that the two former EC commissioners had committed wrongdoing as charged. The court said there was no reason to suspend jail term as begged by the two because they were selected to hold important posts and were supposed to have neutrality. Instead, the two made unfair judgment to benefit the Thai Rak Thai, the court said.

After hearing the verdict, Wassana and Prinya showed no emotion on their face.

They were immediately taken away by Corrections Department officials to the Bangkok Remand Prison.