View Full Version : Red-carded Fridge could topple govt.
'Refrigerator' comes in from the cold
Published on January 23, 2008
"Yuth the Refrigerator", otherwise known as Yongyuth Tiyapairat, a loyal aide of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, has made a dramatic comeback to the political arena to head the legislative branches.
Yongyuth's nickname, bestowed on him by the press, refers not to any resemblance he has to NFL great William Perry, also known as "The Refrigerator" because of his enormous size. Rather it refers to a spectacular incident.
While serving as Thaksin's secretary-general, he led 50 commandos in a raid on the home of a suspected drug maker in Ayutthaya's Bang Sai district. The house was peppered with 200 bullets.
The barrage shredded the house in dramatic fashion and tore apart almost everything inside. Yet a refrigerator survived, dented and riddled but basically intact, and was taken away by the police as evidence.
That assault and the sight of the fridge being carted off earned him the famous moniker.
Yongyuth later denied he attacked the house because of a complaint.
Putting the incident and the coup behind him, he yesterday marked another milestone in his career by being elected House speaker and Parliament president.
The politician, who turns 47 in April, won the post by 307 votes to Democrat Party MP Banyat Bantadtan's 167.
Yongyuth was part of Thaksin's inner circle and was taken into custody along with three other key members of Thaksin's government during the coup on September 19, 2006. After he was released, he left politics and took up a PhD programme in Canada.
His name faded from the public's memory over the next 15 months and it was widely assumed his political career was finished.
But he staged a sudden comeback, returning home when Thai Rak Thai was dissolved.
He took on the role of a deputy leader in People Power Party, which is strongly aligned with Thaksin.
When PPP won the December 23 election, Yongyuth became first choice for the positions of House speaker and Parliament president.
But there have been allegations that he was involved in vote buying in Chiang Rai, where his younger sister Laong ran for a seat.
If proven, his involvement could have repercussions for the party, even if he resigned as deputy leader.
Because he served in an executive position, PPP could be dissolved.
If anything, though, Yongyuth is a wily survivor. His political career began in 1995 under the wing of the Solidarity Party.
In 1996, Yongyuth jumped camp to the Democrat Party.
He ran for and won a constituency seat in Chiang Rai.
At one stage he was promoted to secretary to PM's Office minister Khunying Supatra Masdit.
He changed sides again when Thai Rak Thai fever gripped the North.
"Thaksin was not an expert in politics. He needed an assistant to coach him on how to take on his rival, the Democrats. Yongyuth would come to fill this role," said a source from the now defunct TRT.
But their relationship goes back much further. Thaksin was acquainted with Yongyuth long before they entered politics as their families had engaged in trade while they were young. Thaksin's parents were traders in Chiang Mai while Yongyuth's family were also merchants in neighbouring Chiang Rai.
The TRT won the election in 2001. A surprise choice was made when Yongyuth was appointed government spokesman two years later.
He rose further up the ladder when he was appointed the prime minister's secretary-general.
Known to be enthusiastic about his job, it came as no surprise to other party members when Thaksin made him Natural Resources & Environment minister.
Yongyuth is known for his quick wit and sharp tongue.
Said to have gained the trust of Thaksin and his wife, Yongyuth's star seemed to grow ever brighter.
He once told reporters he had only one boss, namely Thaksin. He would carry out whatever order the boss gave him.
In the 2005 election, Thaksin prepared strategy lists to help him to complete his four-year term. He did not factor in political accidents.
He had three lists: party list MP candidates, ministerial candidates and constitutional MP candidates.
But he did not place Yongyuth's name on the list of party executives because Thaksin wanted him to work only for his government. The same occurred with Surapong Suebwonglee, another trusted aide.
Consequently, he escaped the fate that befell the 111 executives of TRT. But time will tell whether he escapes the clutches of the Election Commission.
The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/01/23/headlines/headlines_30063144.php
See also:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showpost.php?p=11459&postcount=242
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showpost.php?p=11465&postcount=246
Homeowner gets new refrigerator
Published on Jul 14, 2004
The police yesterday returned a bulletriddled refrigerator and a new replacement to an elderly couple whose Ayutthaya home was raided by 50 commandos last Wednesday after receiving a tipoff that drugs were being produced there.
No drugs or drugmaking equipment were found at the house in the earlymorning raid, which resulted in police firing more than 200 rounds into the property.
MajorGeneral Kosin Hinthao, commander of the Crime Suppression Division, said police had no hidden agenda when they took the fridge, refuting allegations that authorities were trying to tamper with evidence.
“Officers just wanted to fix items damaged in the gunfire for them,” he said.
Kosin said homeowner Nisai Satakurama, 70, told him that he wanted to use the old fridge despite the offer of a new one, so officers took it away to be fixed.
But when Nisai’s wife complained that police had not brought back the refrigerator, he said he ordered officers to return it yesterday without waiting for it to be fixed – along with a new fridge as compensation.
“There was no attempt to cover up or destroy evidence,” he said.
Kosin said officers had taken detailed pictures of the house and they would be included in the police report on the incident.
General Amnuay Petcharasiri, the national police deputy commissioner, said he did not know why officers seized the damaged fridge and ordered them to return it before a charge of theft was filed.
He said the investigation into the raid would take sometime because there were many details to go over, with the investigation team summoning everyone involved in the controversial incident.
The PM’s secretarygeneral, Yongyuth Tiyapairat, who was involved in the raid, would also be summoned.
Nisai accepted the new fridge.
“Seeing the damaged fridge, I couldn’t speak. Imagine if these bullets hit me instead of it – my body wouldn’t be recognisable,” he said.
He said he did not want to file a complaint over the incident as police were coming to the house day and night.
“I even joked with some officers by asking them how many methamphetamine pills they wanted from me,” he said, adding that he was still concerned there could be more police trouble in the future.
On Saturday, the family will hold a cremation ceremony for their son, Adisorn, who served terms in Bangkok Special Prison for theft and died on Friday.
Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission has sent a letter to Kosin and the officer who led the raid calling for an explanation of the raid.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/search/page.arcview.php?clid=3&id=102413&usrsess=
BUNGLED ANTI-DRUG ASSAULT: Officials slammed over raid
Published on Jul 8, 2004
Ayutthaya house hit with 200 bullets; Yongyuth denies he acted on complaint
The PM's Secretary-General Yongyuth Tiyapairat led 50 commandos on a raid yesterday on the home of a suspected illegal-drug producer in Ayutthaya's Bang Sai district that saw authorities fire some 200 rounds into the house.
A 70-year-old man was shot in the controversial early morning raid, which yielded no evidence of drug production - and has been labelled a human rights violation.
A source said the raid stemmed from information obtained from the Prime Minister's complaints box, which was forwarded to Yongyuth. The complaint alleged that five people in the house were producing amphetamine tablets, using four machines each with a production capacity of 1,500 tablets a day.
But Yongyuth denied he based the decision to raid the house on information obtained from the complaint box. He said crime-suppression police received a tip-off.
"The news just came out that I led the raid and got embarrassed because I took the complaint from the PM's complaint box, or I did not know what I was doing,'' he said.
Yongyuth said an ex-prisoner had tipped off police. "He wants to become a good citizen and wants police to arrest drug producers," the secretary-general said.
"He said he used to work in the house filling bags with amphetamine tablets."
Authorities said they were tipped off that the owners of the house knew about the police informant and if they did not raid when they did his life would have been in danger.
The commandos surrounded the house for about 20 minutes and unleashed a volley of bullets - after being fired at.
The hail of gunfire injured one occupant in the home. Nisai Satakurama, 70, was shot in the right arm and taken to Bang Pa-in Hospital.
Police surrounded the house at 1am. The property has a metal gate 500 metres away, and a two-metre-high wall. Police claimed they could not see inside the home because of the distance.
They say they only fired because its occupants shot at them first following an announcement that a search of property would be conducted.
But occupants of the home claim they did not hear the announcement and thought the people outside were burglars, so they fired several rounds using a pistol.
After 20 minutes of gunfire, police raided the house and banned reporters from going inside.
At 4am, First Region Police Commissioner Lt-General Pansiri Prapawat brought police out of the house.
Pol Maj-General Kosin Hinthao, Crime Suppression Police Division Commander, said four shots were fired from the house after police announced a search would be conducted.
"We saw four or five people escape out the back of the house, so we decided to fire back," he alleged.
Udom Sutakurama, 65, who is Nisai's wife, told reporters she was angry about the incident.
She said the house was damaged in the gunfire and valuable items broken. Police also took a refrigerator that was hit by gunfire.
Cartridges from the bullets fired by police were removed from the house.
Udom said she was sleeping inside with her husband when she heard gunfire. Her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law's one-year-old son were asleep in another room.
She said she thought the house was being robbed, so she crawled out of the room and returned fired.
Commandos raided the house after the shooting stopped and ordered everyone inside to gather in the centre of the home.
Police then searched all rooms but found no drugs or drug-making equipment.
Udom said Yongyuth asked her where she got the money to build a big house, and she told him she had sold land at Wat Samiannari for Bt12 million in 1987.
She said her husband worked as an engineer overseas for 11 years, so they were quite well off.
The woman's son Sorakom Intawattana is an Army captain. Sorakom said he had not stepped foot into the house for 12 years following a fight with his mother.
"At 4am after my sister called me, saying burglars were attacking the house, so I went straight to the home," he said.
Sorakom said he arrived at 5am and met Kosin and the commandos, who were still surrounding the property. He was shocked to discover the reason police were there.
He then contacted his parents and told them to let police search the home.
Police took Sorakom to a police station in Ayutthaya and offered to pay compensation for the damage.
"I cannot accept this. Police accused my mother of being a drug producer and storing war weapons,'' he said.
"I have served my country for 22 years. This is an over-reaction. Yongyuth should have checked the information first. What if my parents had died in the incident?"
Human Rights Commissioner Charal Dittapichai slammed police. "They had no right to raid and search the house, even though the court approved the search warrant," he said.
He also dismissed police claims that they opened fire after hearing the gun shots from the house. "Police returned heavy fire after being shot at with just pistol. That was an over-reacting."
-------------------------
PM’s Secretary General Yongyuth Tiyapairat:
“Today the movement to discredit working people got worked up. From now on, no one will have the courage to check corruption and public oppression. It is not that I work to earn fame. It is not me. Whenever there is a news leak, work cannot be done effectively. We always use small groups of people and report to the press only when work is completed. We know what we are doing and we do not harass anyone. We want to give morale support to working people,’’ he said.
---
65-year-old Udom Satakurama.
“We want senior officials in the government to explain what happened. We want to call for justice for people like us. Police ordered us to raise our hands over our heads. We were angry that they did this to us when we did no wrong,’’ she said.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/search/page.arcview.php?clid=2&id=102041&usrsess=
Controversial Yongyuth is House speaker
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/news_images/20080122/P1TH.jpg
[Photo: The China Post]
(BangkokPost.com) - Yongyuth Tiyapairat from People Power party (PPP) was elected as speaker of the 480-member House of Representatives and president of parliament by fellow MPs on Tuesday morning.
Mr Yongyuth, who had to resign from the PPP executive before the election as required by the constitution, was a controversial choice. He still faces a serious charge of alleged election fraud, being investigated by a special sub-committee of the Election Commission.
According to the charges, Mr Yongyuth bribed local political leaders in his native Chiang Rai province to canvass for PPP in the election. If he is found guilty, he could be stripped of his MP status.
A conviction could also result in an order to dissolve the entire PPP, the penalty described by the constitution for an offence by a party executive member.
Mr Yongyuth, former deputy leader of PPP, got 307 votes while his rival Banyat Bantadtan, a party-list MP from Democrat party, got 167 votes. Two MPs abstained.
His deputies are both PPP members. Khon Kaen MP and former deputy speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont received 303 votes while Nonthaburi MP Apiwan Wiriyachai won hands down after no other candidates contested the second House speaker seat.
Non-specific link:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=125347
http://enews.mcot.net/upfile/1201172998.jpg
[Photo: MCOT]
25 January 2008
HM the King signs royal command to appoint Mr Yongyuth as House Speaker
His Majesty the King has signed a royal command to appoint People Power Party member and member of parliament from the party-list system Yongyuth Thiyaphairat (ยงยุทธ ติยะไพรัช) to assume the position of Chairman of the House of Representatives.
Mr. Yongyuth will be seconded by Democrat member Somsak Kriatsuranont (สมศักดิ์ เกียรติสุรนนท์) as the first Deputy Chairman and General Apiwat Virichai as the second Deputy Chairman. Their roles in the parliament were effective immediately following the royal command of His Majesty the King.
Mr. Yongyuth received 307 votes in a parliament poll for the position, beating out former Democrat Leader Banyat Buntathan (บัญญัติ บรรทัดฐาน) who received 167 votes.
Reporter : RTI-Reporter01
http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/previewnews.php?news_id=255101240027
Wisarut
25-01-08, 12:41 PM
Ai Fridgy Yongyut siad he woulod not Betray His Majesty despite of the fact that he had turng thsoe jungle protectors into Taharn Pah (Jungle Army), ready to butcher citizens who disagree with Ai maew
First tasks to be done by Speaker Yongyut is to find the way to get a vote to pardon 111 TRT men and cripple Asset Committee .... before the fianl return of Ai maew in may 2008 or later ....
Rumours widespreaded that PPP men have lobbied throgh Kwankaew Watcharothai and Kaewkwan Watcharothai (Watcharothai brothers - the butler familiy for His Majesty sicne the Day One of Chakkri Dynasty) to get Royal Approval for Ai Yongyut as well as Ai Samak ....
http://thaiinsider.info/portal/content/view/5971/57/
http://thaiinsider.info/portal/content/view/5900/59/
http://thaiinsider.info/portal/content/view/5996/12/
http://enews.mcot.net/upfile/1201172998.jpg
[Photo: MCOT]
http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/previewnews.php?news_id=255101240027
The legend of 'Operation Refrigerator' lives on
By Thanong Khanthong
The Nation
Publication Date: 25-01-2008
Yuth the Refrigerator' could not have understood what has gone wrong with his fortune. He thought the refrigerator industry would rise to celebrate his return to power.
But the mood has been subdued.
Yongyuth Tiyapairat has been considered the "golden boy" of the refrigerator industry ever since he led a team of police investigators to ambush a house in Ayutthaya, where people were believed to be involved in the drug trade. At the time he was serving as secretary for prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The police opened fire on the house. The owner of the house, a 67-year-old lady, had to duck for cover. Luckily she escaped the hail of bullets unharmed. But there were several dozen bullet holes in her refrigerator, which saved her life.
That famous incident has come to be known as "Operation Refrigerator". Later it was found that the target was wrong. The lady has recently emerged to congratulate Yongyuth on his appointment as House Speaker. But she said he would still have to see her in court. Yuth the Refrigerator will never disappear from her nightmare. So, his legend lives on.
The Election Commission has also been casting a serious eye at Yongyuth, a party-list MP from Chiang Rai. Some of its members have been going after him over allegations of election fraud. He has been let off the hook temporarily, pending a full investigation. The EC could shoot him down any time. Will this paper tiger have the guts to do so?
On Tuesday, Yongyuth strode into Parliament with pride. As a key member of the People Power Party and one of Thaksin's closest aides, he had been nominated as House Speaker. He is one of the youngest people to take on this prestigious position in the long history of Thai democracy. The PPP-led coalition is backed by 315 MPs. All of them were supposed to vote for Yongyuth's nomination. The Democrat Party nominated Banyat Bantadtan as its contender, knowing full well Banyat would never make it, with only 166 MPs sitting on the other side of the House.
At the end of the count, three votes from the coalition wing went to Banyat. Another six extra votes went to Khunying Kalaya Sophonpanich, the nominee for deputy House Speaker. The PPP was fuming. "Hey, can we play politics with etiquette?" one of its members cried out.
Some coalition partners obviously do not want the PPP to have a free ride. The signal is that, "Anything can happen if you don't treat us good enough; or we can pull the carpet from under your feet at any time".
Who are the black sheep then? Some tried to point the finger at Banharn Silapa-archa, leader of the Chat Thai Party, who could only have played this high-class trick. But Banharn said: "Who can know the culprits in a blind vote?"
On Wednesday, Yongyuth and a dozen MPs dressed in white uniforms, ready to swear an oath of office in front of a portrait of His Majesty the King. He was waiting for the royal signature to his appointment as House Speaker before he could go into the swearing-in ceremony.
The royal endorsement did not come. They all had to go home.
Yesterday morning at 9am, Yongyuth and his supporters dressed up again for the swearing-in ceremony at Parliament. Again, there was no sign that a letter of royal endorsement had arrived.
Yongyuth had to wait all day before the letter of royal endorsement finally arrived in the evening. Another hurdle was overcome. Only after his swearing-in ceremony could he formally open Parliament for the first session, where the MPs would pick the new prime minister.
Samak Sundaravej, PPP leader, was supposed to be nominated and voted in as PM today. But this will have to be delayed until Monday, when Parliament convenes. Samak, too, has been under the same unlucky stars as Yongyuth. He has accused "dirty hands" of blocking his way to power. He has had to fight for the top job. Banharn is waiting in the wings.
Unlike Yongyuth, Samak has called on all kinds of supernatural power to boost his luck. He earlier distributed Buddha amulets to his supporters in order to scare off his political enemies. The Phra Phairee Pinat Buddha amulets have been created to destroy his foes. He also sought a blessing from Luang Phor Khun of Wat Pa Ban Rai in Nakhon Ratchasima. On Wednesday he held a religious ceremony designed to bolster his fortune as he prepares to take on the premiership.
As you can see, both Yuth the Refrigerator and Samak the nominee prime minister have not enjoyed a smooth ride in their rise to power. There have been "dirty votes" and "dirty hands" standing in their way.
Given these rocky starts, the refrigerator industry will not rush to congratulate Yongyuth. Samak might also need to call on further supernatural power to prop up his fortune, although the premiership is now within arm's reach.
http://www.asianewsnet.net/columnist.php?aid=14714
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/search/page.arcview.php?clid=2&id=102041&usrsess=
Certainly, it is difficult to be entirely certain what happened during this raid, or what led up to it. What cannot really be disputed, however, is that the intervention of over-enthusiastic amateurs into (what is supposed to be) professional police work was always bound to lead to a massive foul-up:
COMMENT: So a search warrant was granted for the police. They showed up with the media. This was not like one of those no-knock raids. The police were 500 metres away - surely there must be reporters to corroborate what happened - so the owner decided to fire upon them. If you have a 2 metre wall fence and your house was 500 metres away, would your first thought that came into your head after hearing a noise would be to start randomly shooting?
Did they have a loudspeaker? Exactly how many shots were fired at the police and then continued to be fired at the police? Several rounds and a 20 minute exchange of gunfire is not typical. Were where the shots fired at? In the air? Also, if there is a 2 metre wall fence, were the shots fired through the gate? If the police were fired on, I don't see how they cannot respond.
btw, what is with the Human Rights Commissioner? He would be right to raise questions if no search warrant was obtained, but the police obtained a search warrant. Nevertheless, searching the house is a no-no.
http://bangkokpundit.blogspot.com/2008/01/what-happened-in-ayutthaya.html
ELECTION FRAUD
Ban for speaker looms
Published on February 15, 2008
EC committee finding puts Yongyuth in a precarious spot
House Speaker Yongyuth Tiyapairat was yesterday found to have been involved in electoral fraud by an ad hoc Election Commission panel.
The finding could put him on the brink of being disqualified, if the commission proper upholds the finding.
His People Power Party could be dissolved, too, if found to have backed him in the act.
Suvit Theera-pong led the panel. Yongyuth was a close aide of deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Yongyuth committed the alleged fraud when standing in the general election as a party-list candidate in Zone 1, which covers Chiang Rai.
The Suvit-panel will send its findings to the full commission for consideration.
Should it endorse them, Yongyuth will have to fight the charges in a mandatory trial in the Supreme Court. There is no parliamentary immunity for offences under electoral law.
A panel source said 10 kamnans insisted they had received Bt20,000 each from Yongyuth.
If the Supreme Court accepts a petition from the five election commissioners, Yongyuth must step down as House Speaker. If the court rules Yongyuth guilty, he must also be disqualified as a member of Parliament.
The commission will now establish a committee to investigate the People Power Party for involvement in Yongyuth's alleged offences. If the commission finds so, it will ask the Constitution Court to rule on whether the party should be dissolved.
Yongyuth appeared shocked by the panel's findings, and that the news media had discovered the result before he did.
"The document was leaked, otherwise why didn't I know the result," he asked. However, he was confident of his innocence.
"It is a set-up to involve me in electoral fraud. I will not say anything today, but the truth will reveal who is behind the scenes," he said, adding that a 'red card' would not affect his position.
Commission chairman Apichart Sukhagganond said it had yet to read the panel's findings.
Meanwhile, three People Power members of Parliament for Phetchabun were given yellow cards for their involvement in electoral fraud, according to commission secretary-general Suthiphon Thaveechaiygarn.
It will submit these cases to the Supreme Court within the next two weeks.
Atthayuth Butrsripoom
The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/02/15/headlines/headlines_30065467.php
EC resolves to ask Supreme Court to give red card to Yongyuth
The Election Commission Tuesday resolved to uphold the decision of its investigative committee to issue a red card against Parliament President Yongyuth Tiyapairaj.
The EC decided to ask the Supreme Court's Election Frauds Department to annul Yongyuth's victory and remove his election right for alleged election frauds.
The EC's decision led to the suspension of Yongyuth's duty as the House speaker and parliament president pending a ruling of the election court.
The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30066482
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/02/15/headlines/headlines_30065467.php
Samak stunned as Yongyuth's fate hanging in the wind
Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej on Tuesday said he was stunned by the Election Commission's decision to disqualify House Speaker Yongyuth Tiyapairat on grounds of campaign violations, saying he would have to clarify the information before deciding a next move.
The five-member EC ruled in a majority vote to petition the Supreme Court to launch a judicial review on alleged votebuying in Chiang Rai involving Yongyuth, EC secretary general Suthiphon Thaveechaigarn said.
Once the high court has ruled to commence trial, Yongyuth is expected to suspend his speakership though he would retain in House seat as a party-list MP from Zone 1 covering the Upper Northern Region. His two deputies would act as interim speakers during trial.
If he was convicted in the one-tier, fast-track review, he would lose his seat and face a five-year ban from the electoral process.
In trying Yongyuth who is concurrently a People Power Party executive, the EC is obliged to form an investigative panel to determine whether his alleged violations were linked to the party. Should the linkage be suspected, the EC must petition the Constitution Court to rule whether the dismantle the party.
The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/02/26/politics/politics_30066489.php
Yongyuth suspends duty as house speaker
House Speaker Yongyuth Tiyapairat announced Tuesday that he decided to suspend his duty as house speaker after Election Commission disqualified him for violating election rules.
Yongyuth said in a press conference that he will suspend his duty as the house speaker and fight the EC's disqualification on him.
Yongyuth's announcement came as the EC ruled in majority to disqualify him as MP after he was found guilty of violating election laws. The EC will forward the case to the Supreme Court within two weeks.
By laws, Yongyuth will be required to suspend his duty as house speaker only after the Supreme Court accepted to consider his case.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30066519
Yongyuth guilty under the Criminal Code : EC member
Election Commission member Somchai Juengprasert on Wednesday admitted that he believed House Speaker Yongyuth Tiyapairat was guilty of paying his canvassers but he opposed trial because charges should have been revised to fit the crime.
Somchai was the only one with the dissenting opinion on the Tuesday's ruling to try Yongyuth for electoral fraud. He said Yongyuth should not be prosecuted for votebuying, an offence under the election laws but for bribing state officials, a breach of the Criminal Code.
In the majority opinion, the three EC members found cause to suspect Yongyuth's involvement in votebuying in Chiang Rai as party-list candidate of the People Power Party for Zone 1 covering the Upper Northern Region.
The three are Apichart Sukhagganond, Prapun Naigowit and Sumeth Upanisakorn.
The other EC member Sodsri Satayatham abstained on grounds that the two investigative reports on campaign violations involving Yongyuth should have been combined before the EC ruled on the matter.
The majority, including Somchai, disagreed and decided to proceed withough waiting for the completion of another report relating to the accusation against Yongyuth filed by General Somjet Boonthanom, head of the Secratriat of the Council for National Security.
In the investigative report prepared by the Suvit Theerapong panel, Yongyuth was charged for paying a group of nine kamnan and village headmen in exchange for votes.
Somchai said from the report, he had no doubts that Yongyuth distributed money to local officials, seen as his loyal canvassers.
"I think these officials definitely broke the law because they failed to maintain the political neutrality but I don't view Yongyuth's payments as votebuying but bribing which is a more serious offence," he said.
He argued that the payments happened before Yongyuth registered his candidacy, therefore it is a legal grey area whether the election laws would be applicable in this case. He said charges against Yongyuth should be under the Criminal Code instead of targeting him for campaign violations.
The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/02/27/politics/politics_30066623.php
EC forward Yongyuth case to Supreme Court
(BangkokPost.com) - Election Commission (EC) forwarded the Supreme Court the electoral fraud case against House Speaker Yongyuth Tiyapairat on Tuesday.
The case against Mr Yongyuth was sent to the court's secretary at 9.30am.
Election Commissioner Sumeth Upanisakorn said the poll agency is ready to give further details on the case to police investigators, after Mr Yongyuth filed a case against three election commissioners including himself for red-carding him in the Dec 23, 2007 election.
Mr Yongyuth accused the commissioners for dereliction of duty for giving him the red card.
Mr Sumeth said he does not blame Mr Yongyuth, and said he will not file a counter suit against the parliamentary speaker.
He said it is his own fault for being unable to prove that the EC has fairly considered the case.
Link may expire:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=126573
EC files suit against Yongyuth
The Election Commission Tuesday filed a suit with the Supreme Court seeking to annul the election victory of Parliament President Yongyuth Tiyapairat.
The EC accused Yongyuth of buying votes and asked the Election Department of the high court to revoke Yongyuth's election right.
The court will decide on Thursday whether to proceed with the case.
The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30068515
Court to decide Yongyuth case on Thursday
An Election Commission panel today lodged a 1000-page suit with the Supreme Court accusing House Speaker Yongyuth Tiyapairat of buying votes.
The panel headed Thawil Intornraksa, authoriesed by the EC to file the suit against Yongyuth expressed confidence that the EC had a solid case because more than 50 witnesses were ready to testify against the suspect.
He said the EC also requested the court to ban Yongyuth from carrying out political activities. If the court accepts to hear the case, Yongyuth must end his political role.
Yongyuth yesterday filed a complaint with police accusing the Election Commission of abuse of power for charging him with committing electoral fraud.
Yongyuth who was red-carded accused EC chairman Apichart Sukhagganond and two EC members, Sumeth Upanisakorn and Prapun Naigowit of conspiring to frame him of electoral fraud charges.
He has also charged Maj General Chaiya Siriamphankul for acting beyond his jurisdiction to raise charges against him.
The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/03/18/politics/politics_30068489.php
Supreme Court to proceed with case against Yongyuth
Supreme Court Thursday decided to conduct a judicial review of the election fraud case House Speaker Yongyuth Tiyapairat.
Yongyuth, a party-list MP of the People Power Party and La-ong Tiyapairat, a Chiang Rai MP, from the same party were accused by the Election Commission of having bought votes.
The court asked Yongyuth and La-ong to come to the court to receive a copy of affidavit within seven days.
The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30068714
Man severely injured after setting himself ablaze in front of Parliament
A man was severely injured after he set himself ablaze in front of Parliament early Friday morning to protest against House Speaker Yongyuth Tiyapairat.
Police said Man Truajmakkha, 44, rode his motorcycle to Parliament and took off his clothes and poured petrol over himself.
Police said the man from Buri Ram, who has been working as meatball deliverer in Bangkok, shouted "Yongyuth Get Out" and lit himself up.
Parliament officials rushed out to put out the fire and sent him to Watchira Hospital.
The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30068807
jpatokal
22-03-08, 03:10 PM
meatball deliverer
Now there's a job title you don't see every day...
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30068807
Vendor who set himself ablaze dies
(BangkokPost.com) - The meatball vendor who set himself on fire in front of the parliament on Friday died at Vajira hospital late that night.
Man Tuatmakka, 44, a Buri Ram native, reportedly pulled his motorcycle in front of the parliament before taking off his clothes while shouting "Yongyuth (Tiyapairat) Get Out."
Mr Yongyuth is the house speaker who is facing electoral fraud charge.
Man was in a coma with 100% burns and died from the wounds.
No one has claimed to be his relatives as of Saturday morning.
Link may expire:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=126661
Relatives of self-immolating man appear
Media reports revealed that Mrs. Sawai and Mr. Amorn Truatmaka (นางไสว และนายอมร ตรวจมรรคา)sister and brother to the late Mr. Man Truatmaka who recently set himself on fire in front of the Parliament, have traveled to Vajira Hospital. The two arrived with Mr. Man's brother in law and village elder of Baan Muang Phai village in Buriram province Mr. Sathit Suebtrakoolthong(สาทิต สืบตระกูลทอง).
The group met with investigating officer Police Major General Ekkachai Srirahong (เอกชัย ศรีระหงษ)and informed him of the details surrounding Mr. Man. Mrs. Sawai stated that that Mr. Man had experienced a deterioration of his mental health since the age of 18 and was once set a blaze by his peers. She elaborated that he began to act out after he was unable to enter into the armed forces and was receiving mental care at a hospital.
Mr. Man's relatives said that they would rather not have the matter get out of hand and tie it to politics as they are aware of their brother's condition. Mr. Man's body has been transported back to his home province of Buriram for burial rites.
http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/previewnews.php?news_id=255103230006&news_headline=Relatives
"Burial Rites"? Was he of a faith that practices burial, or is there some stricture that doesn't allow the cremation of those who committed something like suicide?
Tuesday July 8, 2008
Top Thai politician faces poll fraud verdict
By Pracha Hariraksapitak
BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's Supreme Court will give its verdict on Tuesday in a case against a senior member of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) accused of buying votes in a December poll, which could lead to the party's dissolution.
A decision against deputy leader Yongyut Tiyapairat would pile more pressure on the PPP-led, six-party coalition, already weakened by a 45-day street campaign against Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej that has unsettled investors.
If the court delivers a guilty verdict at 0900 GMT, the Election Commission could probe whether the party was involved and pass its findings to the Constitutional Court, which could disband the PPP and ban its leaders from politics for five years.
"Should the verdict go against Mr. Yongyut today, the PPP, its senior members and the government will all be at risk," the Bangkok Post newspaper said in an editorial.
Yongyut, an ally of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra ousted in a bloodless 2006 coup, stepped down as speaker of parliament in February after the EC sent its findings to the Supreme Court.
The Constitutional Court could take months to rule on the dissolution of the PPP, which won the most seats in a December election on an avowedly pro-Thaksin ticket.
The EC accused Yongyut of mobilising village chiefs to buy votes in the poll, but the PPP deputy leader denied any wrongdoing.
He has said the case against him is part of a "systematic political attempt to sabotage the People Power Party".
Leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), whose 2005 street campaign eventually led to the coup against Thaksin, vowed on Monday to continue their protests to force out Samak, whom they accuse of being a Thaksin proxy.
The coalition of academics, royalists and businessmen abandoned their siege of Samak's headquarters on Monday after a court imposed restrictions on the rally, which moved to nearby streets in the Thai capital.
Thousands of protesters marched on Bangkok's police headquarters on Monday to demand authorities press ahead with graft investigations against Thaksin, who returned from exile in February to fight the charges.
The Supreme Court was due to begin hearings on Tuesday on a land deal involving Thaksin and his wife, who are accused of breaking laws that prevent serving politicians and their spouses from striking deals with state agencies.
The PAD's campaign has upset investors, triggering concerns about everything from policy paralysis at a precarious time for the economy to a military coup less than two years after the army's removal of Thaksin.
The main stock index, which eased 1.13 percent on Tuesday midday break, is down more than 17 percent since the street protests began on May 25.
Samak survived a no-confidence motion last month, as expected, after three days of fiery debate that questioned his handling of the economy at a time of soaring inflation and stuttering growth.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/7/8/worldupdates/2008-07-08T115900Z_01_NOOTR_RTRMDNC_0_-344216-1&sec=Worldupdates
Supreme Court disqualifies Yongyuth
By The Nation
The Supreme Court on Tuesday reaffirmed the Election Commission's ruling to disqualify former House Speaker Yongyuth Tiyapairat as an MP.
The Court found Yongyuth guilty in an electoral fraud case. The Court started reading the verdict at about 4pm and finished at 6pm.
Yongyuth is also revoked of his election rights for five years.
The Election Commission filed electoral-fraud charges against proportionate MP Yongyuth, who allegedly gave money to 10 kamnans in Mae Chan district of Chiang Rai to buy votes for his sister, La-ong.
Earlier reports said if Yongyuth is disqualified, the coalition party would propose that Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej dissolve Parliament.
But if Yongyuth is not disqualified, they would propose a major Cabinet reshuffle, with changes to seven or eight portfolios, to improve the image of the government, the source said. Ministers involved in legal cases would be removed.
If Yongyuth is disqualified, the PPP would become the fourth government party having to face the possibility of dissolution.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/07/08/politics/politics_30077613.php
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