Bangkok: ‘Anutin’ denies involvement with the Senate, confirms there is no conflict between the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Justice. ‘Anutin’ denies involvement with Senators after the Election Commission prepares to summon 60 Senators for further investigation into collusion case, warns media not to present news that causes confusion, confirms that the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Justice have no conflict, each doing their own duty.
According to Thai News Agency, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul addressed the situation regarding the Election Commission’s (EC) upcoming summons for 60 senators to provide additional information in a case concerning alleged collusion in the selection process. Anutin stated that the matter does not pertain to the Ministry of Interior and clarified that he, as a Member of Parliament, is not involved with the senators. He stressed the importance of not conflating unrelated issues and cautioned the media against disseminating stories that might lead to public confusion. Anutin assured that the Ministry of Interior is committed to cooperating with the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) in any investigations related to government agencies, in accordance with existing laws.
Anutin further elaborated on the Ministry of Interior’s stance, asserting that the issuance of orders or failure to cooperate is not feasible if it contradicts legal stipulations. He highlighted the necessity of complying with requests that are legally justified and urged the media to accurately report events. Anutin referenced recent media portrayals suggesting a conflict between the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Justice, particularly around purported punitive actions against the Governor of Amnat Charoen Province. He clarified that no such punitive measures were mentioned and stressed that such misreporting could lead to public misunderstandings. Anutin reiterated that Ministry of Interior officials are obliged to cooperate with lawful requests, and any perceived conflict with the Ministry of Justice is unfounded. He confirmed that both ministries are simply fulfilling their respective duties without any friction.