Critics of 3G submit new petitions to Ombudsman

TELECOMS

Critics of the 3G bandwidth auction have filed new petitions attempting to suspend the award of licences to the three telecom firm bid winners.

The moves by the Group of 40 Senators and the Green Politics Group came despite the Administrative Court's decision to clear the way for the national frequency regulator to proceed with licensing.

Senator Paiboon Nititawan petitioned the Office of the Ombudsman yesterday on behalf of the Group of 40. The group is asking the Ombudsman to request a Constitution Court ruling on whether the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission's (NBTC) telecom committee is authorised to endorse the results of the 3G licence auction.

The court on Monday dismissed a lawsuit lodged by the Ombudsman seeking to halt the licence award process, saying the Ombudsman had no mandate to petition the court. It voted 4:2 to dismiss the lawsuit.

Suriyasai Katasila, coordinator of the Green Politics Group, also petitioned the Office of the Ombudsman yesterday seeking a court ruling. The request seeks an appeal to the Supreme Administrative Court to overturn the Administrative Court's decision.

The court's ruling had directly affected the Ombudsman as it raised a question over the authority of the Ombudsman as stipulated in the constitution, said Mr Suriyasai.

The court's interpretation of the charter concerning the Ombudsman's authority was probably beyond its jurisdiction, he added.

The court said on Monday that the NBTC, which held the auction for 3G licences, does not have civil servant status, and so does not fall within the Ombudsman's jurisdiction.

The court also noted that the NBTC is authorised by the constitution to orga-nise frequency auctions and issue related announcements.

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Source: http://www.news.thethailandlinks.com/2012/12/05/critics-of-3g-submit-new-petitions-to-ombudsman/