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Supreme Court disqualifies Yongyuthyongyuth-tiyapairat.jpg

The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions on Tuesday disqualified Yongyuth Tiyapairat, former speaker of the Lower House and deputy leader of the ruling People's Power party (PPP), upholding an earlier guilty verdict issued by the Election Commission (EC).

Yongyuth, a listed PPP candidate for zone 1, covering Chiang Rai and several other provinces in the upper North, had been found guilty by an EC subcommittee of bribing local administrators in Chiang Rai province to campaign for him during last December's general election.

Since Yongyuth is an executive of the ruling PPP, his disqualification might lead to the dissolution of the party as the current constitution stipulates that political parties must be accountable for any actions committed by their executives. All PPP members' rights to participate in political activities might also be removed for a period of five years.

The Supreme Court began delivering its verdict at 4.10 pm. Yongyuth was not in attendance. - Manager Online.
 
BMA to look into Nishimatsu graft allegationapirakpointing.jpg

Bangkok governor Apirak Kosayothin said on Tuesday that he had instructed City clerk Pongsak Semsant to look into reports that officials from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) had accepted bribes totaling about 400 million yen (US$3.75 million) from a Japanese company in return for awarding it a lucrative tunnel construction project in 2003.

Japanese English-language newspapers the Japan Times and Japan Today reported on Monday that a former executive of Tokyo-based Nishimatsu Construction admitted to prosecutors in Tokyo that his firm had handed over 400 million yen to Thai officials to secure the contract. Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej was governor of the BMA at the time the bribe is alleged to have taken place.

Apirak said he would ensure BMA officials would look into the case properly and all information regarding the case would be forwarded to the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC).

Pongsak said he expected the inquiry to take about a week and BMA officials would seek the  cooperation of the Japanese Embassy in Bangkok and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. - Manager Online.