House Speaker Sophon under fire over Saksayam case

The opposition People's Party (PP) has threatened legal action against House Speaker Sophon Zarum if he fails to forward a petition against the national anti-graft body to the Supreme Court.

PP MPs Parit Wacharasindhu and Pakornwut Udompipatskul on Sunday outlined details of a petition submitted by lawmakers and senators accusing the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) of misconduct in its handling of a case involving former transport minister Saksayam Chidchob.

The petition stems from the NACC's decision to drop an investigation into allegations that Mr Saksayam concealed shareholdings in Buri Charoen Nakhon Co.

The issue first emerged during a no-confidence debate in 2022 and later became the subject of a Constitutional Court ruling.

Mr Pakornwut said evidence showed Mr Saksayam had founded the company and once held an 80% stake. The company was also registered at Mr Saksayam's home address, said Mr Pakornwut.

Before the 2019 general election, the shares were transferred to a close associate with longstanding ties to Mr Saksayam's family, raising questions over whether the transaction was genuine or merely a nominee arrangement, said Mr Pakornwut.

The court later ruled the arrangement constituted share concealment.

Mr Pakornwut said the NACC's decision to dismiss related allegations, including those concerning asset declarations and a reported 38-million-baht loan, had prompted widespread public concern.

Mr Parit said the petition against the NACC contains four main allegations.

First, the NACC allegedly failed to conduct a sufficiently thorough investigation into Mr Saksayam's assets and liabilities before dismissing the complaint.

Second, it allegedly exercised its discretion improperly by concluding Mr Saksayam had no intent to submit a false assets declaration despite findings made during court proceedings.

Third, the NACC is accused of lacking transparency by failing to provide requested documents and delaying disclosure of its decisions.

Resolutions dismissing the asset-declaration case in September 2025 and the criminal case in February 2026 were not announced until April this year, Mr Parit said.

Fourth, the agency allegedly failed to investigate other potential offences, including possible conflicts of interest.

Mr Parit urged Mr Sophon to consider the petition before the parliamentary session ends in mid-July.

He argued the parliament president's role is not to determine guilt but merely to decide whether the case should be forwarded to the Supreme Court.

"If the parliament president refuses to send the petition and we believe such action constitutes wrongful conduct, we can pursue legal action under Section 157," he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Pakornwut said he would continue pressing the NACC to release documents related to the case.

If the agency fails to respond within 30 days of the request, he said he would seek intervention from the Official Information Board to compel disclosure.

Saksayam Chidchob