Former deputy Democrat Party leader Witoon Nambutr could face prosecution for allegedly demanding 30 million baht in kickbacks related to a state utility construction project in 2013 and 2014, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) says.
NACC secretary-general Niwatchai Kasemmongkol said on Tuesday the commission found grounds to the allegations against Mr Witoon, a former Democrat MP for Ubon Ratchathani, when he served as a member of a House committee scrutinising a budget bill for 2014. Further details will be provided, Mr Niwatchai said. An NACC source said the commission could charge Mr Witoon and four others with malfeasance and for demanding 30 million baht in kickbacks related to the utility construction project.
The NACC decided that this constituted a violation of Section 149 and Section 157 of the Criminal Act and Section 123/1 of the Anti-Corruption Act, the source said.
Mr Witoon served briefly as social development and human security minister in the Abhisit Vejjajiva government from December 2008 to February 2009, but resigned after he was implicated in a case that saw rotten canned fish distributed to flood victims in Phatthalung.
He quit the Democrat Party in January last year. Mr Witoon said he felt he was unappreciated so he saw no reason to be around a party that had overlooked him.
The resentment apparently began before the 2019 general election -- when he was still deputy party leader.
According to him, he expected to be placed high on the party-list. However, he was 40th on the list and he knew straight away that he had a near-zero chance of getting elected.
