Thailand Justice Minister refers election ballot investigation to DSI

Thailand's Minister of Justice, Pol. Lt. Gen. Ruthaphon Naowarat, has referred a complaint to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) involving eight individuals, including academics, politicians, and media members. The complaint alleges offenses related to criminal association, sedition, and computer crimes regarding the decoding of barcodes and QR codes on election ballots to link voter information.

Addressing concerns of political retaliation, the Minister stated that the complainant, referred to in media as ‘Ms. A’, is a real person who filed the report in person. He noted that the use of a pseudonym in news reports likely stems from media adherence to the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) and safety concerns, rather than the complaint being an anonymous letter.

Pol. Lt. Gen. Ruthaphon emphasized that the DSI will conduct a preliminary investigation to ensure fairness to all parties. He also denied that the legal action against individuals such as lawyer Pattarapong Supaksorn was motivated by personal conflicts, noting the diverse group of people named in the complaint.