Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul has urged the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to summon party critic Nathaporn Toprayoon for his alleged involvement in the Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative scandal.
Mr Anutin made the comment after Mr Nathaporn called on the Election Commission to seek the party's dissolution for allegedly interfering in last year's Senate election, which is now the subject of a massive vote-rigging and money-laundering investigation.
Mr Anutin said the DSI must first issue an arrest warrant so that Mr Nathaporn, an ex-MP and former adviser to the Office of the Ombudsman, can be brought to justice before the statute of limitations in the Klongchan case expires on June 15.
He said the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) asked the DSI to issue an arrest warrant in February, but no moves were made even as Mr Nathaporn appeared in public many times.
According to the Bhumjaithai legal team, the DSI first submitted Mr Nathaporn's case to the OAG in 2017.
Prosecutors decided to indict Mr Nathaporn as one of 14 suspects in a money-laundering case involving the sale of land tied to Supachai Srisupa-aksorn, the former chairman of the cooperative.
Mr Nathaporn has avoided meeting with prosecutors for years, prompting the OAG to ask the DSI twice to either bring the suspect in or issue an arrest warrant.
The DSI reportedly failed to act, never issuing a warrant or uploading the suspect's information into the police criminal database, which suggests it was trying to protect the suspect, said Supachai Jaisamut, the head of the Bhumjaithai legal team.
'This could be seen as the DSI acting improperly for the benefit of the accused - which severely affects the Thai process of justice,' he said.
'It is clear that Pol Col Yuthana Phraedam, the DSI's director-general and other investigators in this case have neglected their duties and acted improperly.'
Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, who oversees the DSI, denied any political motive and emphasised that the agency must be allowed to carry out its duties independently.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. ( Syndigate.info ).
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