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Published on March 18, 2008

Yongyuth's move is seen as a defence strategy to undermine the prosecution case against him in the Supreme Court.

In his complaint filed with the Crime Suppression Division, Yongyuth contends the EC conspired to frame him for committing electoral and criminal violations against the state.

He has singled out EC chairman Apichart Sukhagganond and two EC members, Sumeth Upanisakorn and Prapun Naigowit, for their involvement in the conspiracy.

He has also charged Maj-General Chaiya Siriamphankul for acting beyond his jurisdiction to raise charges against him.

Chaiya is a deputy commissioner of Police Special Branch who was seconded to assist the EC in investigating campaign violations during the lead-up to the December 23 election.

The case came to light on December 20 after Chart Thai candidate Wichit Yodsuwan filed a complaint accusing Yongyuth of vote-buying in Chiang Rai.

EC investigator Dares Kalya was in charge of the case but he resigned afterwards. Yongyuth claimed that Chaiya took over the investigation without a mandate. He further stated that Chaiya forced him to acknowledge the charges against him on December 29, a holiday.

The Chaiya report drew its conclusion in an unfair manner causing injustice even though the EC later replaced Chaiya with a new case investigator, Suvit Theerapong, a former judge, he said.

Although the report leading to his indictment was flawed, the EC went ahead and used it as a basis for its February 26 ruling disqualifying his electoral outcome and trying him for fraud, he said.

The EC today is expected to petition the high court to commence the trial against Yongyuth.

THE NATION