Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Wednesday backed legal action against those responsible for leaking documents from an investigation into alleged collusion in the 2024 Senate election.
His comments followed Justice Minister Pol Lt Gen Rutthapon Naowarat’s admission that a Department of Special Investigation (DSI) report on the case had been leaked and subsequently disclosed by the opposition People’s Party (PP) and the iLaw group.
Mr Anutin said unauthorised disclosure of official records is an offence and the agencies concerned had filed a complaint with police. An investigation would determine how the documents were leaked.
Asked whether the leak was intended to undermine the government, the prime minister said: “It is clearly not done with good intentions.”
An Election Commission (EC) source said the commission and DSI are tracing the source of the leaked documents and will take legal action if wrongdoing is found.
Disclosure of investigation documents could violate Section 41 of the organic law governing the commission, which carries a maximum prison term of five years and/or fines up to 100,000 baht.
The source said the move is necessary to protect the confidentiality of criminal investigations.
The controversy followed a forum organised by iLaw together with the PP, former Senate candidates and academics to discuss alleged collusion in the Senate election.
At the forum, participants cited information from an investigation by the EC’s 26th inquiry panel. The report recommended action against 229 people over suspected collusion in the Senate election.
Supachai Jaisamut, chairman of the Bhumjaithai Party’s legal affairs team, on Wednesday questioned whether the documents had been disclosed lawfully, whether they were complete and who had verified their authenticity.
He also questioned why those releasing the information focused on the findings of the 26th panel without giving equal attention to the opinion of the EC’s 36th panel.
PP leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut on Wednesday defended the disclosure, saying the public had a right to know the truth if the information was accurate, regardless of where it came from.
Mr Natthaphong also said the EC is expected to decide whether to refer the Senate election case to the Supreme Court on Friday.
Earlier this week, the PP said it would present more evidence of alleged collusion at a forum on Saturday, while raising concerns that the EC might take action against only eight people despite the alleged fraud involving a wider network.