Election Commission Finds Senator Knew He Was Ineligible
Thailand's Election Commission unanimously ruled that newly elected Senator Thanakorn Thawarachinchoti knowingly ran for office despite being ineligible due to a 2011 gambling conviction. The commission has ordered him to repay his salary and benefits, and has referred the case to the Constitutional Court to decide on his disqualification and to pursue criminal charges.
On September 21, the Election Commission released a statement revealing that it had unanimously decided the case of Thanakorn Thawarachinchoti, who was elected to the Senate from Group 6, Position 7. He is accused of running for the Senate knowing he was ineligible because he had received a final judgment from Pattaya Provincial Court on December 17, 2011, in gambling cases (black case number 10664/2554 and red case number 10706/2554) for operating an illegal gambling operation under the Gambling Act of 1935 and its amendments. This constitutes a violation of the Constitutional Act on the Selection of Senators, 2561, Section 74 read with Section 14(12). The commission will refer the matter to the Constitutional Court for a ruling on his qualifications and disqualifications under Section 63 of the Constitutional Act on the Selection of Senators, 2561. It will also petition the Supreme Court to order the revocation of his eligibility to run for office under Section 62 of the same act. Criminal proceedings will be pursued, and the court is asked to order the return of his salary and other benefits received from his position as a senator to the Office of the Senate Secretary under Section 74 of the Constitutional Act on the Selection of Senators, 2561, and Section 137 of the Criminal Code.
