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Published on January 10, 2008

"The video clip linking me to fraud has mysteriously disappeared after I wanted experts to examine if it was doctored," he said.

Electoral officials told him the clip was kept by Special Branch investigators in charge of the case, but he was unable to locate it because they refused to answer his telephone calls, he said.

Reacting to a complaint by Yongyuth that he was not allowed to see the video, Election Commission member Sodsri Satayathum said it was not the commission that had presented the footage. Yongyuth will have to petition Special Branch investigators.

She said after verifying the video and still pictures, Special Branch investigators kept the video while the photographs were given to the commission.

Yongyuth said charges relating to paying village headmen to secure votes for him and his party were a frame-up. Witnesses were coerced to testify against him.

He admitted he was responsible for the removal of a chief investigator, Maj-General Chaiya Siriamphankul, who he asserted conducted the probe with prejudice.

He denied, however, that a report into his case had been leaked to him in advance.

He said he knew the mastermind behind the conspiracy was the same person who had ordered the throwing of a grenade into the office of the Thai Rath newspaper.

Certain investigators were paid Bt35 million each to frame him, he said. Two senior police officers, known only as Maj-General "S" and Lt-General "Ch", were responsible for coercing witness statements against him, he said.

He threatened to reveal their names if he received a red card.

Election Commission chairman Apichart Sukhagganond said Yongyuth was entitled to his opinions, but the commission would rule on the evidence.

"I am certain the commission can justify its decision," he said.

He said the investigation into Yongyuth was incomplete, pending the gathering of additional evidence.

Sodsri expected a decision by tomorrow.

"If Yongyuth is penalised with a red card, the commission is obliged to form a panel to determine any link to the People Power, which could lead to the party being disbanded," she said.

Yongyuth has finished presenting his defence. Investigators have still to take statements from eight witnesses, she said.

In regard to Chaiya's remarks that he was not allowed to react to Yongyuth's rebuttals, she said that because of the current legal proceedings, investigators were banned from interfering with defence evidence, and from cross-examining defence witnesses.

She said the commission would investigate the claims that Yongyuth was framed.

"I too want to know how it was staged that so many kamnan and village headmen travelled by government vehicle to meet him," she said.

 Attayuth Butrsripoom

 The Nation