BANGKOK, July 28 (TNA) -- Anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) on Monday threatened to launch more pressures against the Thai government if three of his ministers, named by a court for a further hearing on a lottery scandal, continue working, according to retired Maj-Gen. Chamlong Srimuang, a core leader of the PAD.
The PAD members and supporters, who have been rallying calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej since May 25 near Government House, will meet again to discuss whether the three ministers should step back from their official duties, Gen. Chamlong said.
He said this government had already lost its credibility after the Administrative Court last month issued a temporary injunction against the cabinet resolution endorsing the joint communique which supported the Cambodian government in its bid to apply for a listing of the ancient Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site.
But the government has felt indifferent (about this) and continues working, Gen. Chamlong said.
Three defendants -- including Finance and Deputy Prime Minister Surapong Suebwonglee, Labour Minister Uraiwan Thienthong and Deputy Transport Minister Anurak Jureemart -- were charged in the Supreme Court'sCriminal Division for Holders of Political Positions earlier Monday.
Constitutionally, if the court accepts such a case, the trio must be suspended from their ministerial portfolios immediately.
But the three ministers had decided to seek advice from their lawyers whether they have to leave their posts after the court had accepted the case and whether they could stay on until the final ruling was made.
They told journalists after they were named in the lawsuits that they would seek advice from the Constitution Court to interpret whether they could stay on their posts, because the charges on the issuance of two- and three-digit lottery, implemented during the ousted government of prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, were made against them while they no longer held the same ministerial portfolios.
Mr. Anurak said he would definitely attend a weekly cabinet meeting on Tuesday and was prepared to follow his legal counsellor's advice.
Mr. Thaksin and 46 others are accused of violating the law when they legalised the lottery scheme in 2003. An anti-graft body, set up after the bloodless coup on Sept 19, 2006, has said the state had lost nearly Bt37 billion in revenue because of the scheme. The court has set the next hearing on September 26.
The accused are charged with malfeasance for allegedly mismanaging and illegally spending money gained from the lottery scheme. The Thaksin government claimed the scheme would persuade buyers to move away from the illegal lottery and that the money gained from the scheme would be spent on education. (TNA)
The PAD members and supporters, who have been rallying calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej since May 25 near Government House, will meet again to discuss whether the three ministers should step back from their official duties, Gen. Chamlong said.
He said this government had already lost its credibility after the Administrative Court last month issued a temporary injunction against the cabinet resolution endorsing the joint communique which supported the Cambodian government in its bid to apply for a listing of the ancient Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site.
But the government has felt indifferent (about this) and continues working, Gen. Chamlong said.
Three defendants -- including Finance and Deputy Prime Minister Surapong Suebwonglee, Labour Minister Uraiwan Thienthong and Deputy Transport Minister Anurak Jureemart -- were charged in the Supreme Court'sCriminal Division for Holders of Political Positions earlier Monday.
Constitutionally, if the court accepts such a case, the trio must be suspended from their ministerial portfolios immediately.
But the three ministers had decided to seek advice from their lawyers whether they have to leave their posts after the court had accepted the case and whether they could stay on until the final ruling was made.
They told journalists after they were named in the lawsuits that they would seek advice from the Constitution Court to interpret whether they could stay on their posts, because the charges on the issuance of two- and three-digit lottery, implemented during the ousted government of prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, were made against them while they no longer held the same ministerial portfolios.
Mr. Anurak said he would definitely attend a weekly cabinet meeting on Tuesday and was prepared to follow his legal counsellor's advice.
Mr. Thaksin and 46 others are accused of violating the law when they legalised the lottery scheme in 2003. An anti-graft body, set up after the bloodless coup on Sept 19, 2006, has said the state had lost nearly Bt37 billion in revenue because of the scheme. The court has set the next hearing on September 26.
The accused are charged with malfeasance for allegedly mismanaging and illegally spending money gained from the lottery scheme. The Thaksin government claimed the scheme would persuade buyers to move away from the illegal lottery and that the money gained from the scheme would be spent on education. (TNA)
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