Boonsong’s son lashes PTP
POTENTIAL CHIANG MAI CANDIDATE DEJNATTAWIT DEFECTS
>> Dejnattawit Teriyapirom, son of ex-commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom, has lashed out at the Pheu Thai Party, saying a lack of trust on the part of Pheu Thai was a reason behind his decision to break away from it and join the pro-regime Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP).
Mr Dejnattawit was among several Pheu Thai heavyweights who were unveiled as members of the PPRP yesterday.
He is the son of Boonsong who was a former commerce minister in the Yingluck Shinawatra government and is now in jail over over a fake government-to-government (G2G) rice case.
Mr Dejnattawit, 28, had only joined Pheu Thai in September and been introduced as a young member and potential MP candidate for Chiang Mai province. The media quoted him as saying that he filed his resignation letter with Pheu Thai on Nov 13.
Mr Dejnattawit yesterday spoke his mind about why he decided to quit Pheu Thai and join the PPRP. He cited negative remarks made about his father by a lawyer of ex-premier Yingluck.
He said that his father’s political role ended once he was convicted by the court.
On Aug 25 last year, the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions found Boonsong and 16 others were guilty in a case involving fake G2G rice deals. He was given a 42-year prison sentence.
“Now he is ill and is receiving treatment,’’ Mr Dejnattawit said. “Efforts are being made to link him with other legal cases. Some went so far as to say that a deal was struck [for his father to go outside the prison to receive treatment].
“This made those who heard the news unwilling to come and help, as they doubted if my father was really sick. This is because it has been politicised.”
It was earlier reported that Boonsong suffered from a herniated disc and would undergo surgery at Police General Hospital on Tuesday.
Mr Dejnattawit went on to say: “When a lack of trust occurs in Pheu Thai, I am afraid I will run into problems if I go ahead in politics. After long contemplation, I decided to resign.”
At the suggestion of his father, Mr Dejnattawit
“When a lack of trust occurs in Pheu Thai, I am afraid I will run into problems if I go ahead in politics. After long contemplation, I decided to resign. SON OF EX-COMMERCE MINISTER BOONSONG TERIYAPIROM, DEJNATTAWIT TERIYAPIROM
said he met former transport minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit and former labour minister Somsak Thepsuthin and decided to join the PPRP.
Mr Suriya and Mr Somsak are key figures of the Sam Mitr Group, which is seen as the regime’s recruiting arm responsible for drawing politicians from other parties, particularly Pheu
Thai, into the fold of the PPRP.
The NACC recently said it had expanded its investigation into the bogus G2G rice case and found more wrongdoers. It said it was gathering evidence and examining the money trails of those implicated in the case.
A source said Boonsong’s information regarding the money trails will have a ripple effect on those involved.
Mr Suriya yesterday brought five former Pheu Thai MPs for Khamphaeng Phet to apply to join the PPRP led by Industry Minister Uttama Savanayana.
They are Pai Lik, also known as “Pai One Point”, Pol Lt Col Waipoj Apornrat, Parinya Rerkrai, Anant Phol-amnuay, and Surasit Wongwitthayanant.
However, former PM’s Office minister Varathep Ratanakorn, leader of the group of Khamphaeng Phet MPs, did not show up yesterday as earlier expected.
A source said Mr Varathep decided to hold back his application because he is still unqualified to apply to be an election candidate as stipulated by the constitution.
Under the charter, a convict must wait for
10 years since the date of conviction to elapse before he or she can apply to be a poll candidate.
In 2009, Mr Varathep was sentenced to two years in jail, suspended for two years, by the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions.
He was found guilty of malfeasance over the introduction of the two- and three-digit lottery while serving as a deputy finance minister in the Thaksin Shinawatra administration.
In light of this, Mr Varathep still has one year left before he can apply to be a poll candidate next year.
Mr Pai yesterday admitted that it was a tough decision to join the PPRP. He decided to join the party because he hoped the party would end the political conflict which has plagued the country.
He insisted that his move to the PPRP had nothing to do with legal cases. He had no legal cases to fight and there was no bargaining, he said.
Amnuay Khlangpha, a former government whip and former Pheu Thai MP for Lop Buri, also joined the PPRP yesterday. He said he had been approached by the party’s secretary-general and Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong.