ID :
11946
Thu, 07/10/2008 - 09:42
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/11946
The shortlink copeid
Thai court removes health minister from post
BANGKOK, July 10 (TNA) - Controversial Public Health Minister ChaiyaSasomsup was removed from his post Wednesday after a ruling by Thailand's Constitution Court that he was disqualified for not declaring his wife's shareholding in a private firm which exceeded the five per cent level permitted by law.
The ruling was made after 36 senators lodged complaints to the SenateSpeaker to rule whether Mr. Chaiya could retain his ministerial post after his failure to declare his wife Jurai's shareholding of over five per cent in the firm to the National Counter Corruption Commission as required by the law.
The Court ruled in Mr. Chaiya absence that his ministerial post ended 30 days after his appointment on February 6 because of his failure to declarehis wife's assets within the deadline.
Mr. Chaiya, who was visiting his wife at a Bangkok hospital while the Court made the decision, later told journalists that he would call onPrime Minister Samak Sundaravej later in the day.
He said he accepted the court's decision and believed no negative impact would fall on the ministry because he had not signed any contract ormemorandum of understanding while he was the minister.
Mr. Chaiya's presence, however, had caused a considerable amount of trouble while he was minister at the Public Health Ministry. Health activists had earlier gathered 20,000 signatures to call for his impeachment as he threatened to cancel a generic drug programme thatprovides low-cost treatment to people suffering from AIDS and cancer.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commerce Minister Wiroon Techapaiboon is also awaiting aConstitution Court ruling, apparently on a case similar to that of Mr.
Chaiya.
Whether Mr. Wiroon would leave his post before the court makes its ruling is not yet known. (TNA)
The ruling was made after 36 senators lodged complaints to the SenateSpeaker to rule whether Mr. Chaiya could retain his ministerial post after his failure to declare his wife Jurai's shareholding of over five per cent in the firm to the National Counter Corruption Commission as required by the law.
The Court ruled in Mr. Chaiya absence that his ministerial post ended 30 days after his appointment on February 6 because of his failure to declarehis wife's assets within the deadline.
Mr. Chaiya, who was visiting his wife at a Bangkok hospital while the Court made the decision, later told journalists that he would call onPrime Minister Samak Sundaravej later in the day.
He said he accepted the court's decision and believed no negative impact would fall on the ministry because he had not signed any contract ormemorandum of understanding while he was the minister.
Mr. Chaiya's presence, however, had caused a considerable amount of trouble while he was minister at the Public Health Ministry. Health activists had earlier gathered 20,000 signatures to call for his impeachment as he threatened to cancel a generic drug programme thatprovides low-cost treatment to people suffering from AIDS and cancer.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commerce Minister Wiroon Techapaiboon is also awaiting aConstitution Court ruling, apparently on a case similar to that of Mr.
Chaiya.
Whether Mr. Wiroon would leave his post before the court makes its ruling is not yet known. (TNA)
