Deputy Senate Speaker Kriangkrai Srirak and several other senators reported to the Election Commission’s (EC) office today, to acknowledge charges of electoral collusion in the 2024 Senate election.
One of the senators, Niphon Akwanich, told the media that he brought a file of documents with him, to support his defence, while some senators assigned their lawyers to acknowledge the charges on their behalf.
The EC’s office served summonses on the first 55 senators. Altogether, though, more than half of the 200-member Senate are facing the charges.
EC Secretary-General Sawaeng Boonmee said today that its investigative panel has until July 9th to conclude its investigation and to submit its findings. The panel, led by Chanin Noilek, EC deputy secretary-general, is working with officials from the Department of Special Investigation.
The alleged electoral collusion took place among candidates at the national-level of the senate election, after they had passed the district and provincial levels. Candidates who passed all three levels were appointed senators. Voting only takes place among the candidates, with no public votes being cast.
