On July 15th, Thai Prime Minister and Secretary-General Pongmai Lesuriyad revealed that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had applied to the Constitutional Court for an extension of 15 days to submit his defense materials in the “Record Room” case. The reason given was that he could not complete the preparation work for all the defense materials within the previously stipulated 15-day period.
Pongmai stated that such a request for an extension is a right that the accused has under the law and is a normal procedure in legal proceedings. Whether to approve the extension will be decided by the Constitutional Court.
On July 1st, the Constitutional Court of Thailand accepted a petition submitted by 36 members of the Upper House, accusing Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha of serious violations of moral standards, damage to national dignity, and lack of qualifications to continue as the Prime Minister. On the same day, the court suspended Prayut’s Prime Ministership and required him to submit his defense materials within 15 days. (CCTV Li Min)