Lt-General Phadungsak Klansanoh yesterday testified in his and the Thai Rak Thai Party's defence at the Election Tribunal. He said he never met with members of the Thai Ground Party or gave its members money. The former ruling party is accused of paying small parties to run against it in an election last April that was subsequently annulled.

Phadungsak told the tribunal he could not have met with members of the Thai Ground Party on the days alleged because he was busy arranging his father's funeral then, and friends could back this up.

Thatima Phawalee, a party-list candidate for Thai Ground, said Phadungsak met her at a petrol station near Samsen railway stop. Phadungsak said there was no petrol station at that location.

Thamarak, a former deputy leader of Thai Rak Thai, is accused of paying candidates from small parties to run in constituencies where Thai Rak Thai candidates had no opponents. Candidates running without opponents are required to win 20 per cent of the vote to take a seat. Phadungsak allegedly acted as his go-between.

Meanwhile, former Election Commission secretary-general Ekachai Warunprapa said the watchdog had filed a complaint against one of its officials, Amornwit Suwanpha, for allegedly modifying membership records of small parties.

It never filed a complaint against the Thai Rak Thai or its executives.

He denied seeing a commission report into electoral fraud allegedly committed by the Thai Rak Thai, saying it went to another commission member.

The hearing will wrap up tomorrow. The tribunal will set a date for closing arguments and for delivering its ruling.

Kornchanok Raksaseri

The Nation