Election Commission (EC) chairman Narong Klunwarin on Tuesday defended the handling of an investigation into alleged collusion in the 2024 Senate election, insisting the probe was not being delayed.
He said the investigation was proceeding in accordance with the legal timeframe and procedures and rejected criticism that only about 20 of the 229 individuals implicated in the case were likely to be disqualified.
His remarks came after the release of video footage by People's Party (PP) list-MP Parit Wacharasindhu, who claimed it was recorded during the national-level round of the Senate election on June 26 of that year.
The footage allegedly shows two individuals inspecting and collecting voting notes or "cheat sheets" from Senate candidates. One of the individuals, according to Mr Parit, was an EC member.
Mr Parit said the remarks heard in the video appeared to acknowledge concerns that the election process may not have been conducted fairly. He also questioned whether the documents had been properly examined as part of the ongoing investigation.
EC member Anan Suwannarat said the matter was not new and had already been ruled on by the courts.
He said the commissioner seen in the footage had previously informed an EC meeting that he would not take part in deliberations on the issue because complaints had been filed against him.
However, the EC asked the secretary-general about the matter and was informed that the courts had already considered it. The EC then agreed that the commissioner should continue performing his duties, said Mr Anan.
EC secretary-general Sawaeng Boonmee declined to answer questions about the incident.
He reiterated that all matters relating to the voting notes and the events of election day had already been considered by both the EC and the courts.
A ruling by the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases previously found that bringing documents or notes containing candidate numbers into polling stations was not illegal, as the practice is not explicitly prohibited under the law governing Senate elections.
Meanwhile, Sen Phisit Apivatanapong on Tuesday questioned the source of the footage released by Mr Parit and whether it had been obtained legally.
He said the video did not clearly show any wrongdoing and argued that its release could create public misunderstanding. He said it appeared to be more politically motivated than presenting facts.
Pol Maj Gen Sunthorn Kwanphet, another senator, called on the EC to investigate all groups equally.
