Palang Pracharath MP Wirat, 86 others face legal action over graft allegations
The Office of the Attorney General on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against Phalang Pracharath MP Wirat Rattanaset and 86 others for corruption in the construction of futsal fields in Nakhon Ratchasima schools.
Of the 87 defendants, 81 reported to the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Persons Holding Political Positions in Bangkok.
The absentees included Wirat and fellow Phalang Pracharath MPs, Tassaneeya Rattanaset and Tassanaporn Ketmetheekarun, who claimed they were attending a session at the House of Representatives.
The Supreme Court will appoint three judges to consider whether the accused are guilty. If found guilty, the court will then appoint nine judges and launch a trial. Absentees will face arrest.
The allegations are related to the 2012 fiscal budget under which 4.45 billion baht was allocated to Education Service Area Offices in Nakhon Ratchasima and other 17 provinces in the North and Northeast.
Wirat, Tassaneeya and Tassanaporn had allegedly told their subordinates to contact directors of schools under Nakhon Ratchasima Primary Educational Service Area so they could allocate funds for the construction of futsal fields in their school.
Public prosecutors say this unlawful allocation of state funds violated Article 168 of the 2007 Constitution.
Wirat and Tassaneeya were Pheu Thai MPs at that time and Tassanaporn mayor of the Huai Thalaeng subdistrict.