Bhumjaithai Figures Avoid Action as EC Proceeds Against 77 in Senate Collusion Case

All 21 Bhumjaithai politicians accused in the 2024 Senate collusion case, including Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, have avoided court and criminal proceedings, while the Election Commission has decided to take action against 77 other people. The 77 comprise 26 serving senators, 36 candidates eligible to vote in the Senate selection and 15 other individuals. No reserve-listed candidates, party executives, MPs or political officeholders were included. The inquiry involved 67 complainants, 427 respondents and 75,722 pages of evidence. EC chairman Narong Klunwarin said the decision was not a finding of guilt and that those facing proceedings could contest the allegations before the Supreme Court. He declined to disclose how individual election commissioners voted. No one will face proceedings under Section 76 of the Senate selection law. The provision covers political party figures assisting Senate candidates and candidates accepting such assistance. A key witness in the allegations against Bhumjaithai was Ekkarat Changlao, a former party MP who was expelled from the party. Identified as Witness No. 16, Ekkarat initially alleged that Bhumjaithai MPs and executives held meetings at the party’s headquarters between June 16 and 26, 2024, after the provincial-level selection. He also alleged that Anutin, other Bhumjaithai MPs and co-founder Newin Chidchob attended a meeting with senators at the Pullman Bangkok King Power hotel on July 21, 2024. Ekkarat later withdrew his testimony in full, leading EC Adjudication Subcommittee No. 36 to deem him unreliable and discount his evidence. Panel 36 subsequently voted 5–2 to recommend dismissing the case against 229 accused. Its recommendation contradicted that of the EC-DSI Central Investigation and Inquiry Committee No. 26, which found grounds for action against 138 senators, 50 reserve or unsuccessful candidates, 21 Bhumjaithai politicians and 20 other alleged participants. Former election commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn questioned why documents concerning Ekkarat’s retraction emerged three days before the EC’s final vote. Under the third allegation, 36 people—including 26 serving senators, one other candidate and nine other individuals—will face proceedings for promoting candidates in ways that breached EC rules. Allegations four to seven involve vote buying, inducements and accepting benefits. The 36 accused under the third allegation are included in the overall total of 77. The EC must prepare its rulings and submit petitions to the Supreme Court’s Election Cases Division within 60 days. The 26 senators can continue working until the court accepts the petitions, after which they must stop performing their duties pending judgment. If the court rules against them, their memberships will end from the date of their suspension. The post Bhumjaithai Figures Avoid Action as EC Proceeds Against 77 appeared first on Thai Enquirer.