Former senator Wanchai Sornsiri has accused the Election Commission (EC) of dragging its feet in handling the election fraud case against 138 senators implicated in alleged vote-rigging during the 2024 Senate election, warning the process could be delayed by up to two years.

กลุ่ม สว ที่โกงเลือกตั้งเข้ามาตามหลักฐานที่ กกต และ DSI กำลังดำเนินการเอาผิด

Speaking at a recent forum at Thammasat University's Tha Phrachan campus, Mr Wanchai said the EC's lethargic approach suggested it had no intention of concluding the probe soon.

The commission might be reluctant to act swiftly since it oversaw the Senate election process in which loopholes allegedly enabled widespread fraud, he added.

"Their actions indicate their intentions. I foresee that this case could drag on for up to two years," he said.

Thammasat law scholar Prinya Thaewanarumitkul said the EC must act quickly to restore public trust. The only way to prove its credibility, he said, was to wrap up the investigation without further delay and forward the findings to the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Persons Holding Political Positions.

The EC will meet on Sept 17 to review recommendations expected from a sub-committee that has been examining findings from the joint investigation by the EC and the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), he said, urging the commission to avoid setting up yet another panel to reinvestigate the case.

"When the case reaches the court, I believe it will be accepted for trial. If so, the 138 accused senators will have to be suspended immediately pending the ruling," he said.

If that happens, the remaining 60 senators will continue to perform their duties, including scrutinising the selection of Constitutional Court judges and members of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), he added.

Concerns have been raised over whether the 138 senators should continue playing a role in approving appointments to independent organisations while under investigation.

An iLaw representative said if the EC follows through on its chairman's earlier suggestion that the case could take up to eight more months, a decision on whether to forward it to the court would not be made until March 14 next year.

Rawi Aksonsiri, head of the DSI's money laundering division, said the EC has the authority to form a different opinion on findings from the joint EC-DSI probe panel.

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