Lottery 'a legal pitfall'
A member of the Assets Examination Committee (AEC) warned yesterday that the Finance Ministry would have to be responsible for damage caused by legalising two- and three-digit lotteries.
Reacting to a report that the Council of State would officially announce next week that the ministry could continue with the popular lotteries even though the law did not expressly allow it to do so, Udom Fuangfung said such a decision would cause a serious problem in the future.Udom said he was concerned that if the ministry followed the council's decision and allowed the sale of the lotteries after several months' suspension it could provide an amnesty to the previous government since, according to the criminal law, wrongdoers become innocent if the law is subsequently amended to make their actions legal. Udom is head of an AEC panel scrutinising the operation of the two- and three-digit lotteries, which were implemented by the Thaksin Shinawatra government several years ago. Meanwhile, National Legislative Assembly (NLA) member Chamlong Srimuang said a group of NLA members would oppose the bill if it came up for consideration because it would provide an amnesty for the deposed premier. The Nation
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