Off-key: Ex-folk singer politician hits sour note in corruption scandal

A former Thai folk singer-turned-politician has been booted from his position as mayor of Khlong Luang district in Pathum Thani province after being entangled in a major corruption scandal.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) ruled that a case involving shady dealings during the Covid-19 pandemic had enough weight to warrant his immediate removal.

The axe fell swiftly, with Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul signing the dismissal order, which came into effect yesterday, September 26.

Before his political downfall, Ekkapot Panyaem was famous in the late 1980s under the stage name Ekkapot Wongnak. However, it seems his time in the spotlight has now taken a darker turn.

NACC investigators revealed that in 2021, Ekkapot allegedly orchestrated the procurement of 20,000 survival bags—meant for Covid-19 relief—valued at 11 million baht, said an NACC spokesperson.

“He ensured the deal was drawn up in favour of a private company before even securing the funds.”

The bags were priced at 550 baht apiece, but the number purchased far exceeded the actual number of people who registered for aid.

This isn’t Ekkapot’s first brush with the law. In May 2023, he was arrested on separate charges of political corruption related to a landfill project, where he allegedly embezzled 3 million baht, reported The Nation.

In related news, a lawyer has called for an investigation into the Deputy Director of the National Office of Buddhism, questioning the handling of a temple fund embezzlement case involving the official’s ex-wife. The lawyer demands a probe into the asset seizure and the vetting process before the appointment.

Lawyer Thammarat Sarapanya, representing the Chueamjit family, and Praphan Kittiruedeekul, Secretary-General of the Organisation for the Protection of Buddhism for Peace, visited the Central Investigation Bureau to present evidence and requested an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Division.

In other news, the Saraburi Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct issued an arrest warrant for a former Pathum Thani Provincial Administrative Organisation (PAO) official who failed to attend a court session regarding a corruption case. The court has rescheduled the hearing for October 24.