Yingluck, Suthep may face criminal, civil lawsuits over election
FORMER PRIME minister Yingluck Shinawatra and protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban may be faced with criminal and civil lawsuits of up to Bt2.4 billion following an invalidated election in 2014.
The Election Commission (EC) recently unanimously resolved to file lawsuits against those who obstructed the election on February 2, 2014 and failed to prevent chaos that led to the poll being invalidated, including Yingluck and Suthep, a source from the EC revealed yesterday.
The first group of 234 people including Suthep along with his then People’s Democratic Reform Committee members Thaworn Senneam, Satit Wongnongtaey, and Phra Buddha Isara would face both criminal and civil charges of obstructing the election, the source said.
Yingluck would face a civil charge on grounds of dereliction of her duty and causing damage to the state as she continued to hold the election despite being warned of the likely chaos, the source said.
The EC plans to ask for a total of Bt2.4 billion compensation from the two groups but it depends on the court how much it will order each group to pay, the source said. The EC submitted the case to the Office of Attorney General for further legal process.
The Constitutional Court ruled that the general election was unconstitutional because voting was not held that day in 28 constituencies where anti-government protesters had prevented candidates from registering. The constitution says elections must be held on the same day nationwide.
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