Mr Chaichanok said yesterday (Jan 20) the investigation was ongoing. He assured the public that the people’s identities would be revealed in due course, reports the Bangkok Post.
When asked whether the 10 candidates belonged to a single party, he said, “They are.”
Justice Minister Pol Lt Gen Rutthapon Naowarat told reporters that investigators required additional time to complete their work and urged the public to be patient, noting that multiple agencies were involved in gathering and verifying evidence.
Pressed on whether the suspects were all from one party, Pol Lt Gen Rutthapon declined to comment.
In a later interview, he explained authorities were proceeding cautiously to avoid legal repercussions.
Premature disclosure, he said, could expose officials to lawsuits, as the case relies heavily on intelligence gathering and evidence still under assessment by the Royal Thai Police and the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).
“If I reveal the names now, I would be the first to be sued,” he said.
He rejected claims that the delay amounted to political manipulation, saying several cases had been handled discreetly to avoid accusations of political motivation.
“This is not political harassment,” he said, adding he did not want to “end up in prison in old age”.
On Monday, Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, a party-list MP candidate and deputy leader of the People’s Party (PP), responded to concerns following the arrest of one of the party’s candidates and reports of possible further arrests.
Mr Wiroj said the party had enforced a rigorous candidate screening process, including criminal background checks and credit bureau reviews, to ensure nominees had no outstanding warrants or prior convictions for serious crimes.
He said all legal actions against PP candidates occurred after the candidate registration process had closed and involved individuals with no prior criminal records.
While acknowledging that complaints had been lodged against some candidates, Mr Wiroj said the party treated all allegations seriously.