Democrat Party chief adviser Chuan Leekpai admitted yesterday the charge that his party had unlawfully obtained a Bt258-million donation was worrying.
Chuan made the comment after a prosecution review panel decided on Friday to recommend that a case be launched against the Democrats.
Chuan said the party has yet to select members to defend the case. But Chuan said they would fight the charge with truth.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, as the party leader, also accepted the case would be difficult.
"There were many charges in the Democrat dissolution case in 2006. But almost all the people in the party knew what happened then. Therefore the defence was easier," Abhisit said.
"But this time, even the legal team members are the same as me - we were not [involved] in the incident, so we have to follow and track down the documents, evidence and what witnesses say. This is the harder part," he said.
However, the PM denied a new party had been registered as a back-up, in case the Democrat is dissolved.
The Bt258-million donation case is one of two cases pending against the Democrats. The party is alleged to have benefited from Bt258 million in campaign contributions paid by a listed company via a proxy company for a publicity campaign during the 2005 election before the funds were laundered and channelled to them.
Banyat Bantadtan was party leader with Abhisit as his deputy at the time.
Deputy attorney-general Waiyawut Lortrakul said he expected Election Commission chief Apichart Sukhagganond, as the political party registrar, to submit comments and all the documents to the Attorney-General today so that the case can be given to the Constitution Court by the deadline tomorrow. Otherwise, the EC will have to proceed with the case itself.
Waiyawut said yesterday the team of prosecutors had finished drafting 80 per cent of the case. A joint panel of prosecutors and EC staff has prepared witnesses and evidence to support the eight issues to be raised in the case.
He said the statute of limitation for the case to be taken to court had not expired, as the limit for prosecution of violations of the Political Party Act was at least 10 years.
Meanwhile, the team would let the court decide whether to believe Prachuap Sangkhao, a key witness, who has reversed his testimony many times, as the investigative team has all the records, he said.
In the other dissolution case against the Democrats, the ruling party has been charged with wrongful spending of Bt29 million in funds allocated by the Election Commission and earmarked for party development. Under the Political Parties Act, the offence is punishable by dissolution.
The Constitution Court has scheduled July 28 for examination of evidence, and August 9 to hear witnesses in that case.