Democrats to answer libel charges
The four Democrats accused of defaming Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra over her private meeting at Four Seasons Hotel last month will make statements on Tuesday at Lumpini police station.
“I will not use my parliamentary immunity as a shield,” Democrat MP Thepthai Senpong said yesterday.
Thepthai and fellow Democrat MP Sirichok Sopha, party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut and his deputy Mallika Boonmeetrakul have been accused of making malicious comments about the prime minister.
The four have been summoned by Lumpini police to acknowledge the libel complaint and provide their rebuttals so investigators can decide whether to indict them or drop the case.
Thepthai said he and the other three Democrats did not defame Yingluck but had raised an honest query on why she would not explain her conduct. He said the allegations against him and his colleagues were politically motivated and used to gag the opposition.
He also made a reference to exprime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, saying the Democrats would not try to elude the law like him.
