Pattaya FC file lawsuit against Worawi over FA election for president
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The controversy surrounding the Football Association of Thailand's presidential election is far from over, after Pattaya FC filed a lawsuit against Worawi Makudi, who retained his post amid allegations of wrongdoings.
Worawi beat challenger Virach Chanpanich to become the FA president for a fourth consecutive term in last month’s vote. However, the poll’s outcome has yet to be approved by governing body the Sports Authority of Thailand, leaving a power vacuum at the FA.
The FA election was tainted by a spate of allegations of irregularities, with six of 72 members claiming that their originally designated voting representatives were replaced by people with no connection to the clubs.
Pattaya FC president Natthaphon Panyakhananukool revealed yesterday that he had filed a lawsuit against Worawi and FA secretary-general Ong-art Kohsinkha, accusing them of abusing their power by using fraudulent documents. He said the criminal court had already accepted the case, with the hearing due to take place in January.
Natthaphon’s latest court action comes after a previous attempt to get the election outcome declared void by the Central Administrative Court. The court has yet to decide whether that case comes under its jurisdiction.
Natthaphon also claimed there was an attempt to persuade him to withdraw the case with an offer to buy his club, which currently plays in the lower echelons of Thai football.
“Before I filed a suit with the criminal court, I received a phone call from an individual. He made an offer to buy my club for Bt5 million. It’s a huge sum for a small team like Pattaya FC. However, I then discovered that he wanted me to drop the case, so I refused his offer,” said Natthaphon.
