Bangkok: The Constitutional Court has dismissed a petition seeking the removal of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Pipat Ratchakitprakarn from their roles in the energy policy committee. The petition had alleged that their appointments unfairly benefited their family's business interests.
According to Thai News Agency, the court unanimously decided not to accept the petition for further consideration. The case, filed by Mr. Thanawit Wongtharntip, alleged that Prime Minister Anutin's appointment of Pipat to a significant position overseeing energy policy and fuel management created a conflict of interest. It was claimed that Pipat's actions, including a public statement on fuel shortages amidst rising prices, caused direct harm to the petitioner, thereby breaching ethical standards.
The petitioner argued that both Anutin and Pipat's actions violated constitutional provisions, specifically Section 160 (4) and (5), and prohibited actions under Sections 184 and 186, which could potentially terminate their ministerial status per Section 170. However, the court found no evidence that the petitioner's rights or freedoms were directly infringed upon by the appointments.
The court noted that according to the Constitutional Court Procedure Act B.E. 2561 (2018), a petition for ministerial status termination requires either a significant number of parliamentary members or the Election Commission to refer the matter. The petition did not meet these criteria, leading to its dismissal under the constitutional guidelines.
Thus, the petitioner was deemed ineligible to file such a petition under Article 213, resulting in the court's decision not to consider the case further.