Srettha insists Pichit fit for Cabinet despite past jail sentence

Srettha insisted on Friday that Pichit is qualified to hold the Cabinet post, which was handed to him in last week’s Cabinet reshuffle.

He told reporters that the Office of the Council of State had already approved Pichit’s eligibility as a minister and he was “unworried” in this regard.

The premier was speaking after civil groups, including the Network of Students and People Reforming Thailand and the People's Centre to Protect the Monarchy, petitioned the Election Commission to investigate whether Pichit is eligible to serve as a Cabinet minister.

Pichit is known as the Shinawatra family’s most trusted lawyer.

In 2008, he was sentenced to six months in prison over an attempt to bribe Supreme Court judges with 2 million baht in cash in the Ratchadaphisek land case against former PM Thaksin Shinawatra. Judges in the land case handed Thaksin a two-year prison sentence.

Pichit was subsequently appointed as a legal adviser to Yingluck Shinawatra’s administration, tasked with screening draft bills before they were submitted to the House.

Asked on Friday if the Constitutional Court would step in to decide Pichit’s eligibility, Srettha said he didn’t know.

Pichit was among six people handed ministerial posts for the first time in the Pheu Thai-led government. Others included new finance minister Pichai Chunhavajira, who has experience as a Bank of Thailand board member and chair of the Stock Exchange of Thailand.