Charter Court rules Saksayam’s ministerial post ended on March 3rd last year

former Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob

The Constitutional Court ruled by 7 votes to 1 today that former Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob’s post as a minister ended on March 3^rd last year, after it was discovered that he owned shares, through a nominee, in a construction company that was awarded a contract with a state agency.

The dissenting vote was cast by Constitutional Court Judge Udom Sittiwirattham, who said that Saksayam’s position as a minister did not end in accordance with Section 170 of the Constitution.

The court said that the shares, which are owned, on paper, by an employee of the Buri Charoen Construction Company, identified as Suphawat Kasemsut, were actually owned by Saksayam and that Suphawat was just a nominee.

According to sections 170 and 187 of the Constitution, a minister is prohibited from holding shares in a company which is in a contractual…