Thailand, Constitutional Court removes PM: "He had appointed a minister already convicted of corruption"

Srettha Thavisin he is no longer the prime minister of Thailand. The appointment of a minister cost him his job. Constitutional Court of the country, in fact, decided to remove it after Thavisin indicated Pichit Chuenban as a minister in the Prime Minister’s Office. The appointment, according to the Court, constitutes an ethical violation because Chuenban was convicted of attempting to bribe a judicial official. The country’s interim prime minister will be Phumtham Wechayachai, Trade Minister from the same party as Thavisin.

Chuenbandetained for six months in 2008, tried to bribe a judge with two million baht (about 51 thousand and 900 euros) in cash, contained in a shopping bagThe Court recalled that the Prime Minister has exclusive responsibility in qualifications check for the purpose of appointing his cabinet. According to the Court, Thavisin was aware of Chuenban’s past, but he chose it anyway during the cabinet reshuffle launched in April, violating ethical codes. The government will remain in office on an interim basis until Parliament approves a new prime minister. There is no time limit for this process.

Thavisin spoke at Government House shortly after the verdict. He thanked the judges for giving him the chance to defend himself and said he respect the sentencestressing that he had always tried to act ethically during his mandate, which lasted less than a year. “I am sorry to be considered an unethical prime minister, but I would like to reiterate that I don’t think I’m like that“, he said. Srettha Thavisin, 62, was a politician before entering politics. manager real estate. He prioritized opening up Thailand after nearly a decade of government militaryoften travelling abroad for the negotiations commercial. His party has promoted a populist plan for a policy of giving away 10,000 baht ($286) per stimulate the economya key promise of his election campaign last year. His government has also promoted the products cultural Thais through an agency for the “soft power“Finally, it has relaxed the entry requirements into the country, stimulating the sector tourism.