The Constitutional Court has dismissed an ethics breach complaint filed against former Deupty Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and former Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong over the Department of Special Investigation (DSI)’s investigation into alleged vote manipulation during the Senate selection.

The complaint was filed by a number of senators, who accused Phumtham and Tawee of trying to interfere with the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT)’s investigation into the alleged vote manipulation by ordering the DSI to take the case. The senators claimed that the order was a threat and an attempt to dominate the Senate, which is part of the legislature, going against the rule of law and the separation of power between the executive and legislative branches. They said that the two ministers lack honesty and integrity, and that this was a serious breach of ethical standards and requested the Senate President to petition the Constitutional Court for their dismissal.

The Constitutional Court ruled that Phumtham and Tawee were not guilty of an ethical breach or show that they lack honesty and integrity as they did not make threats or abuse their power to interfere with the investigation.

Phumtham and Tawee are no longer ministers, however. They were dismissed along with the rest of former Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s Cabinet when the Constitutional Court dismissed Paetongtarn over a leaked phone call with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen.