A malfeasance lawsuit was filed with the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases today by former labour minister Suchart Chomklin and three associates against senior officials of the Department of Special Investigation.

Named as defendants in the suit are the former director-general of the DSI, the acting DSI director-general and the director of the Human Trafficking Cases Division.

Suchart told the media that the three officials had implicated him and his three associates in demanding a 3,000 baht kickback from each of the Thai workers who went to work picking strawberries in Finland from 2020-2023.

He claims that the DSI never invited or summoned him for questioning, despite the fact that he was the labour minister during the period, but had sent its findings to the National Anti-Corruption Commission for consideration nonetheless.

He also said that he believes that the attempt to defame him was politically motivated.

Suchart did, however, admit that there were a number of complaints regarding demands for kickbacks from the workers and he ordered an investigation into the allegations, adding that the deals for Thais to work in Finland are between private employment services and the workers.

A pre-trial hearing has been scheduled for February 6^t