Senatorial candidate for Nong Gee district of Thailand’s northeastern province of Buri Ram, Mr. Banchob Namwiset, has become the first post-election politician to be stripped of his voting rights for ten years by the Supreme Court’s Electoral Cases Division.

The Court found the 60-year old government official guilty of offering bribe to another candidate in exchange for her vote, in violation of Article 77 (1) of the Senators’ Election Act.

In the verdict, which was read at the Supreme Court today, Mr. Banchob was found to have called another candidate, in the same professional group, on December 12th last year, offering to recoup her senatorial application fee on the condition that she cast a vote for him.

Mr. Banchob did not attend the hearing today.

The phone conversation was recorded by the female candidate, who later played it for provincial election officials, and a probe was launched by the Election Commission which faulted Mr. Banchob for offering a bribe.