Thai PM must resign over cooking show scandal: court
Posted 30 minutes ago
Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and his entire cabinet must resign over the scandal surrounding his TV cooking show, the Constitutional Court said.
The court, which said Samak had violated the constitution by accepting payments for hosting the show, ruled he must stand down immediately.
His cabinet could remain as a caretaker administration for 30 days until parliament elects a new prime minister.
"The Constitutional Court unanimously agreed that Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej has violated the constitution, article 267 - therefore his ministerial position has ended," the verdict read.
"As Samak's ministerial status has ended his entire cabinet must go, but they have to stay as caretaker government until the new cabinet is formed," it added.
But despite the ruling by the nine judges, Samak is not barred from standing again for prime minister, and his party has already confirmed they would elect him back to the premiership.
The court accused Samak of lying in his testimony when he said he did not receive payment from television production house Face Media following his election to the premiership.
Tax records showed he continued to receive payment.
"The suspect has fabricated his evidence," the verdict said.
http://www.abc.net.a.../09/2360186.htm
Samak Found Guilty By Court, Must Resign
Started by george, 2008-09-09 16:34
#52
JetsetBkk
The JesterBkk Posted 2008-09-09 17:55:23
...The Electoral Commission has recommended his party be disbanded, after a finding of serious irregularities in its campaign to win the December election which returned full civilian government to Thailand. And Mr Samak awaits a verdict on his appeal against a 24-month sentence for defamation. If the sentence were upheld he would be stripped of all political offices and banned from politics. He also has a corruption matter outstanding from his time as Bangkok governor in the 1990s. He's obviously innocent (chuckle, chuckle) on all accounts.  #53
ThNiner
Senior Member Posted 2008-09-09 17:55:50   KurtGruenSamak violated the law by working for a private company and getting paid while he's in office...not because he cooked stuff on a TV show. He was paid in millions in total, just to let you know. I hope this is clear enough for some people. #54
toptuan
Moderate Expat Posted 2008-09-09 17:57:29
What will happen to the next PM, Brought down for moon lighting in Soi Cowboy Study your relatively recent Thai history, post-1990 shenanigans. #55
hammered
Titanium Member Posted 2008-09-09 17:57:48
Lied in his evidence. He should be done with perjury now.
#56
toptuan
Moderate Expat Posted 2008-09-09 17:58:32
Double post removed.
Edited by toptuan, 2008-09-09 18:01:05. #57
ThNiner
Senior Member Posted 2008-09-09 17:58:41
Splatter, I didn't read the entire script. I just watched it on TV. I'm Thai.
#58
blaze
Super Member Posted 2008-09-09 17:58:55
Dont know excatly where this leads, but in the meantime these thais are teaching farang courts how to deal with the law ! When is the last time a PM has been convicted of anything in farangland ?!? ++ ^^ #59
ThNiner
Senior Member Posted 2008-09-09 18:01:51
The guy who sponsored the show also was just appointed a member of Thai Airlines or Airport Authority executive board by Samak. I'm actually not sure which orgnaization. This was another charge which implied the conflict of interest.
Just wanted to let some people know. Edited by ThNiner, 2008-09-09 18:03:01. #60
ThaiPauly
MadmenMember Posted 2008-09-09 18:03:04
Lets see if I have got this right?....his PPP party will re-elect him as PM in 30 days because they and the coalition have more votes than the Democrats ????
So he can just take a months holiday and then come back and the ball starts rolling again  Please tell me I'm wrong in my assumption PLEASE...as this just does not make any sense at all to me 
#61
jojothai
Senior Member Posted 2008-09-09 18:03:09
that'll teach him to cook the books People do get dismissed for cooking the books, but cooking .... Certainly the best description is bizarre. Lets hope it is the Thai backdoor route to solve the current problem. #62
dseawarrior
Senior Member Posted 2008-09-09 18:03:21
I think this should be titled: TV cooking show host forced by court to quit moonlighting as Prime Minister 
#63
blaze
Super Member Posted 2008-09-09 18:04:02
Lied in his evidence. He should be done with perjury now. #64
hammered
Titanium Member Posted 2008-09-09 18:04:35
that'll teach him to cook the books People do get dismissed for cooking the books, but cooking .... Certainly the best description is bizarre. Lets hope it is the Thai backdoor route to solve the current problem. It certainly gives a parliamentary route to try to resolve divisions. It is now up to PPP to decide if they want to take it or not. #65
fiddlehead
Senior Member Posted 2008-09-09 18:06:00
Looks like parliament can just vote him back in (legally)
It will be interesting to see if he wants to be voted back in or if he is going to look at this as a way out without losing TOO much face. #66
ThNiner
Senior Member Posted 2008-09-09 18:06:33
If Samak is voted back by PPP to be the PM again, I think all hel_l will break loose.
I think...
#67
h90
Crazy Member Posted 2008-09-09 18:06:47
There is the letter of the law and the spirit behind the law. So, according to the letter of the law, he was guilty. However, can one truly justify terminating a PM over cooking on a TV show, according to the spirit of the law? that the PM should not have a second job makes sense. But here the bigger issue is that he did not obey the constitution and worse he lied at the court that he did not get any money. Anyway as they all don't accept the spirit of the law they will reelect him. #68
h90
Crazy Member Posted 2008-09-09 18:08:05
Looks like parliament can just vote him back in (legally) It will be interesting to see if he wants to be voted back in or if he is going to look at this as a way out without losing TOO much face. They all don't care about face...just about money. #69
kurtgruen
Senior Member Posted 2008-09-09 18:09:14
I don't support the PAD with their lack of long term solutions to Thailand's political problems, but still wonder why so many supposedly 'in the know' foreigners believe that Samak and his circus show are deserving of power because of what can be loosely described as democracy. A complete sham in all respects. Samak faces still further legal problems. The Electoral Commission has recommended his party be disbanded, after a finding of serious irregularities in its campaign to win the December election which returned full civilian government to Thailand. And Mr Samak awaits a verdict on his appeal against a 24-month sentence for defamation. If the sentence were upheld he would be stripped of all political offices and banned from politics. He also has a corruption matter outstanding from his time as Bangkok governor in the 1990s. He's obviously innocent (chuckle, chuckle) on all accounts. I'm fine with the short-term solutions for now...Get rid of the PPP and anyone else who finds their party officials guilty of vote buying or other illegal activities, contrary to the elections act. Why, because it will show that Election laws are there to be followed, not to be broken and that if parties choose to break them, there will be severe consequences. Hopefully, Samak will stay down for the count and stick to cooking. Then, it's a matter of electing a Prime Minister, who is a little more diplomatic and has some negotiation skills (or at least people who can negotiate for him), so maybe, slowly, this situation in Thailand can be difused, before more people get hurt. I think the PAD needs to keep up pressure, until the PPP either resigns or gets booted out by the courts. After that, if they think they have a better political system to offer, they should put it to the test, by running in the next elections. Elections, which should be closely monitored by scrutineers of all parties, plus allowing international monitors in as well, to keep the whole process as honest as possible. Regardless of the outcome of the next election, if the party who takes power gets caught with major election fraud again, it needs to be disolved again. That's how you eventually can have a decent democracy or whatever system the people choose to vote for. i.e. Democracy or an absolute Monarchy, with a benevolent King, or a combination of the two, or a military government (not my choice), or whatever they decide to vote for, in fair, honest elections. Of course there is the issue of media coverage and there needs to be close to equal and fair airtime, for all parties running. In the meantime, Thank God, Buddha or whoever else is listening, that Samak is gone, because this situation was becoming more and more dangerous every day and this should help to difuse things a little. If he opens his own restaurant one day, I would love to have a chat with him and eat his food, because he sounds like an interesting man. I just don't want to see him as Prime Minister anymore. #70
JetsetBkk
The JesterBkk Posted 2008-09-09 18:09:43
...Samak violated the law by working for a private company and getting paid while he's in office...not because he cooked stuff on a TV show. He was paid in millions in total, just to let you know. I hope this is clear enough for some people. #71
bangkokrick
Remember this member Posted 2008-09-09 18:10:57
Lets see if I have got this right?....his PPP party will re-elect him as PM in 30 days because they and the coalition have more votes than the Democrats ???? So he can just take a months holiday and then come back and the ball starts rolling again Please tell me I'm wrong in my assumption PLEASE...as this just does not make any sense at all to me Strange but true. Cheers, Rick #72
kurtgruen
Senior Member Posted 2008-09-09 18:11:04
If Samak is voted back by PPP to be the PM again, I think all hel_l will break loose. I think...I agree! #73
highdiver
Super Member Posted 2008-09-09 18:11:36
Talk about embarrassing for Thailand! On the 4 pm BBC World bulletin everyone including the Southeast Asia correspondent as well as Jonathan Head in Bangkok were shaking their heads in disbelief that the prime minister of a country has been brought down by a cooking show !! They even used the word " bizzare " to describe such a situation. They admitted that they've even given up speculating how this will work out eventually but he was concerning that Jonathan Head commented there is a risk this will not resolved peacefully this time..................................... It really does look dreadful that a country that has attracted so much foreign investment in the past appears to be in such a muddle ! This is a fun place to live but it just reinforces my belief that it's too risky to invest one satang in this Disneyland ! "Thailand has had its fair share of crises recently, but this is one that even the Thais are baffled by, our correspondent says." http://news.bbc.co.u...fic/7605838.stm Thailand has exposed itself it has outgrown the path to democracy into a real BIZARRE BANANA REPUBLIC The whole world is laughing and even Hollywood and Bollywood couldn't have written such a script. Can anyone imagine what the world leaders are talking about today to each other ? Poor Thailand, they lost face to the whole governance world; what's next ?  LaoPo loose face NO NO No !!! I believe this will be set as an example that in Thailand even the PM is not above the law. and when a PM does something wrong he pays for it with his JOB... or do you prefer other "world leaders" who have not lost positions when they did something wrong. and never even faced a court.. Well done Thailand... the first country in the world to show that even on simple matters the PM is not above the law.. its now becoming a world trend to have politicians understand that they are not above the law and that good honest citizens will not take anymore sh*t , corruption and leaders who utilize the position for personal gain. the last examples are Israseli PM on charges of bribe Irish Pm payment scandals candian Pm leaking scandal finland PM sex scandal and the least goes on..... Thailand is sending a very clear message to the world a PM is not above the law. No One is above the law and no matter how trevial it is even hosting a coocking class.. you break the law you loose your job. #74
GaiYaang
Regular Member Posted 2008-09-09 18:11:47
There is the letter of the law and the spirit behind the law. So, according to the letter of the law, he was guilty. However, can one truly justify terminating a PM over cooking on a TV show, according to the spirit of the law? Couldn't tell you, but if it did happened, you will see a lot of pans flying. I can just smell it. #75
ThNiner
Senior Member Posted 2008-09-09 18:11:52
Samak still has another court ruling pending. It will be on 25th of this month. A defamation charge. This time if he's found guilty, he will be put in jail...I think.
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