The prosecution review panel has decided to recommend that the Democrat Party face trial for financial irregularities, an offence punishable by party dissolution if found guilty by the Constitution Court.
Following yesterday's meeting, panel chairman Wichit Wichaisarn said panel members had formed the conclusion - without taking a vote - that the case should undergo judicial review even though investigators could not collect certain evidence that prosecutors had deemed vital to the case.
"We will initiate the court proceedings based on the evidence we have," he said.
Wichit said the panel decided to go ahead with the trial because it deemed the circumstantial evidence strong enough to win a favourable verdict.
The gist of the case is that in the last general election, the Democrats allegedly benefited from Bt258 million in campaign contributions paid by a listed company via a proxy company for a publicity campaign before the funds were laundered and channelled to them.
In the initial prosecution review, the Office of the Attorney-General said the case was weak for two reasons - industrialist Prachai Leophairatana refused to give his statement as the contributor of funds and company director Prachuab Sangkhao did not show up to support the money-laundering allegation.
The panel's decision will be forwarded to the party registrar, who is concurrently EC chairman Apichart Sukhagganond, who will in turn send the case back to the attorney-general.
The attorney-general will have the final say on whether to try the case.