Pracha takes impeachment fight to court

Former deputy interior minister Pracha Prasopdee has taken to court 33 members of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) for allegedly unlawfully impeaching him last year.

The impeachment, decided by the NLA on Aug 19 last year, followed the NACC’s findings that Mr Pracha allegedly abused his power by interfering in the Market Organisation (MO) board while the agency was about to make a decision in 2012 to punish its former chief in a corruption case.

The NACC allegedly did not present the NLA with a formal petition needed to set the impeachment process in motion. The NLA also accepted the case for consideration without the petition having been filed, Pheu Thai Party legal expert Ruangkrai Leekijwattana said yesterday.

Mr Pracha is a former Pheu Thai MP for Samut Prakan. The act is tantamount to a violation of Section 157 of the Criminal Code that governs malfeasance as well as the NACC Act, he claimed.

Mr Ruangkrai said Mr Pracha has filed court action against 33 NACC members, including commission chairman Watcharapol Prasanratchakij, as well as 24 NLA members, including the NLA president, who took part in seeking and voting on the impeachment. Mr Ruangkrai said the court is scheduled to examine the case on May 22.

The impeachment has led to Mr Pracha being stripped of the right to hold political and civil service positions for five years. The accusation is based on NACC findings that implicate Mr Pracha in abuse of power claims when he ordered the MO board to delay a Nov 12, 2012 meeting, to consider dismissing then MO director Titus Suksaard for alleged irregularities.