Former Judiciary Office official disqualified from Bangkok governor race
A former secretary-general of the Judiciary Office has been disqualified as a Bangkok governor candidate because he had been fired for serious disciplinary offence, a Bangkok election official said on Thursday.
Samrarn Tanpanit, director of the Bangkok Election Office, said Sarawut Benjakul, who got candidacy No. 28, has been disqualified under Section 56 of the Local Councils and Administrations Elections Act of BE 2562 (2019).
Samrarn said the Bangkok Election Office had been informed by the Judicial Commission that Sarawut had faced a charge of abusing authority, violating Section 77 of the Judicial Commission Act of BE 2543 (2000), and was hence fired from judiciary service.
Samrarn said the Local Administrations Election Act prohibited persons who have been fired from duty for committing corruption or abusing authority from running for election.
Sarawut used to be a special adviser to the Judiciary Office before he became the secretary-general. He was also a director on several boards, including the board of directors of the Airports of Thailand Plc, the board of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and a member of the council of King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang.
Sarawut resigned as Judiciary Office secretary-general on April 3 to contest the Bangkok governor election.
On March 15, a subcommittee of the Judicial Commission recommended that he be fired from service for committing serious disciplinary offence in connection with a project to renovate the Phra Khanong Court building in 2019.
The Judicial Commission resolved on April 4 to fire Sarawut from service after affirming the decision of the subcommittee that he had committed the disciplinary offence.