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Published on February 2, 2008

"The joint review on the new lottery case by the AEC and the public prosecutors has failed to reach an agreement and the AEC will litigate with assistance from the Law Society of Thailand," AEC spokesman Sak Korsaengruang said yesterday.

He was speaking after a two-hour meeting between the two agencies.

In its initial report to the OAG, the AEC named 49 suspects, including Thaksin and his entire cabinet, for their alleged responsibility in the approval of the lotteries in 2003.

The OAG has declined to prosecute the case, as it opposed the list of suspects, and suggested a revision of certain charges.

Sak said the AEC would request the OAG send back its report and that it planned next week to issue a statement explaining the differences in legal views between it and the OAG.

The AEC will seek a team of lawyers, with a complement from the Law Society of Thailand, who will file the cases to the Supreme Court's Criminal Tribunal for Political Office Holders within 14 days after the investigation report is received from the OAG, he added.

The AEC will hold a meeting on Monday to make public a report comparing the decisions of the AEC and the OAG, and why the former will not further investigate the five points.

Udom Fuangfung, who chairs the AEC subcommittee investigating the lottery scandal, said his panel had strictly followed regulations in performing its work.

The Nation