Phumtham and Tawee cleared over Senate election scandal

The Constitutional Court has cleared former deputy prime minister Phumtham Wechayachai and former justice minister Tawee Sodsong of abusing their authority by interfering with the Election Commission’s investigation into the Senate election scandal in 2024.

Phumtham and Tawee, in their capacities as members of the Special Case Board of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), were accused by a group of senators of ordering the DSI to investigate the scandal, in which 138 senators, 91 other individuals and some executives of the Bhumjaithai party were alleged to have colluded in the election of senators.

The accusers claimed that Phumtham and Tawee, who oversaw the DSI, had abused their positions and that this was a gross violation of ethical standards, according to Section 160 (4) and (5) of the Constitution, which could have resulted in their removal from political office.

The Constitutional Court ruled, however, that the two former ministers did not commit any acts which could be regarded as gross violations of ethics and, hence, their ministerial statuses remained intact.

The two men have, however, already lost their cabinet posts because the Pheu Thai-led government at the time, led by then prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, was replaced by the Bhumjaithai-led administration.

Phumtham and Tawee did not attend the hearing today. They were represented instead by Pol Maj-Gen Chatwat Saengpetch.