BANGKOK – In a significant ruling, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has dismissed a petition seeking an ethical violation investigation against former Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. The case pertained to the appointment of Phichit Chuenban, a former lawyer for the Shinawatra family, as a political official.

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Announcing the decision, NACC Spokesman and acting secretary-general Surapong Intarathawon stated that the commission found no grounds for an ethical breach. The NACC determined that Paetongtarn was not a holder of a political office at the time of the appointment in question, serving then in her capacity as the leader of the Pheu Thai party.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has dismissed a petition from the Election Commission, asking the corruption watchdog to determine whether former prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra had committed gross ethical violations over the appointment of Phichit Chuenban,… pic.twitter.com/1zIgYzhj94

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The controversy stemmed from Phichit Chuenban’s background. In 2008, he and two colleagues were convicted of contempt of court and sentenced to six months in prison. The conviction was related to an attempt to bribe court officials by presenting them with a paper bag containing two million baht in cash while they were representing former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

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Phichit Chuenban was later appointed as a Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office by then-Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin in May 2024. His tenure lasted only three months; he resigned amid mounting public scrutiny and legal challenges questioning his qualifications in light of his prior imprisonment. The political fallout continued, culminating in the Constitutional Court’s subsequent order removing Srettha Thavisin from the office of Prime Minister.

-Thailand News (TN)