A lawyer’s hopes of becoming a National Anti-Corruption commissioner were dashed on Monday, when the Senate voted him down.
The 110 votes that Sombat Thoratham, an independent legal adviser, received were less than half of the senate, which is 125. Eighty-four senators voted against Sombat while 24 others abstained.
Before casting their votes, some senators told the chamber that Sombat, a former committee member of Bangkok Mass Transit Authority, was the subject of a complaint concerning advertising space bidding on 1,109 air-conditioned buses.
Moreover, Sombat has no outstanding work as a lawyer.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) is searching for a new commissioner to replace Gen Boonyawat Kreauhong, who retired from the position because he 70 years old.
The NACC currently has only five commissioners, while the full bench is nine.