The Finance Ministry has again proposed that the Cabinet amend the 1974 Lottery Act to legally create controversial two- and three-digit lotteries, an unnamed source has revealed.

In November, the Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Pridiyathorn Devakula withdrew the first amendment draft from the National Legislative Assembly because it was feared it would create an amnesty for the previous government, which allegedly misused lottery profits.

But after scrutinising the proposal, the Council of State has assured the Finance Ministry that an amendment would offer no legal amnesty.

Under the proposals, 20 per cent of the profits from the new tickets would be reserved for lottery winners, 40 per cent would fill government coffers and the rest would go to the Ministry of Social Develop-ment and Human Security, which aids groups for the disadvantaged.

It will be illegal to sell the tickets to under-18s and close to schools or universities.

The two- and three-digit lotteries proved popular when introduced by Thaksin Shinawatra's government.

In November, Pridiyathorn recommended that criminal charges be brought against Thaksin, members of his cabinet and senior finance and lottery officials for illegally introducing the two- and three-digit lotteries.

He submitted recommendations to the National Counter Corruption Commission and Assets Examination Committee that those involved in approving the lotteries broke the law and overstepped their jurisdiction.

Pridiyathorn said the Finance Ministry's move was based on a Council of State ruling in November that the Thaksin administration violated Article 157 of the Lottery Act in 2003 by introducing the lotteries through a simple Cabinet resolution.

This prompted Surayud Chulanont's government to suspend the two lotteries, pending full legislative support for such operations.

Pridiyathorn has come under pressure to bring criminal charges against Thaksin and those involved in the approval of the lotteries without proper legislative procedure.

The Thaksin government introduced the lotteries in a bid to undermine the hugely popular underground lottery and to raise revenue.

Now the current government is trying to create a proper legislative framework for the lotteries by amending the 1974 Lottery Act.

Wichit Chaitrong

The Nation