Warrant out for ex-Pheu Thai boss

The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office-Holders has ordered an arrest warrant to be issued for former Pheu Thai Party leader Charupong Ruangsuwan for failing to attend the first hearing in a case in which he is charged with accepting gifts of excessive value while he was interior minister between 2012-2013.

The court had scheduled Mr Charupong to appear for the first hearing on Dec 13 last year. He did not show up that day, and the court has now ordered a warrant for his arrest. He was represented by his lawyer.

However, Mr Charupong reportedly fled to the United States shortly after the military coup which toppled the Pheu Thai-led administration in May 2014. He has not been back to Thailand since.

The court process began after Mr Charupong was indicted by prosecutors after the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) in February last year found grounds that he violated Section 103 of the anti-corruption law when he demanded a private firm pay for airline tickets with a combined value of almost 60,000 baht.

Under Section 103 of the Anti-Corruption Act of 2018, state officials are barred from accepting gifts worth more than 3,000 baht. The offence is punishable by a fine of 30,000 baht, a threeyear jail term or both.

In 2012, Mr Charupong and his group travelled from Bangkok to Beijing via China Airlines and, later in 2012, from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur via Malaysia Airlines. His business class tickets for those trips cost nearly 60,000 baht.

According to the NACC, Mr Charupong demanded Eastern Water Resources Development and Development Plc (Eastwater) pay for his tickets even though he had no direct relations with or authority over the company, which is not a state agency.

After fleeing to the US, Mr Charupong announced the formation of the Organisation of Free Thais for Human Rights and Democracy (OFHD) in opposition to the rule of coup leader Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha.