Pracha's accusation is baseless : Abhisit
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Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday said during a parliamentary meeting that Pheu Thai MP Pracha Prasopdee had groundlessly accused him of letting other people vote on his behalf, while Pracha said the House Speaker should set up a panel to
Pracha said he had not accused Abhisit but had the evidence to support his statement.
He urged the House Speaker to set up an investigation committee. “I will hand in my evidence. I will let the Opposition leader check where in my statement did I say that Abhisit let Mr A or Mr B press his [electronic ID] card for him. I only told the press conference that I honestly doubted whether Abhisit was in the chamber, or whether Abhisit pressed the card himself,” Pracha said.
House Speaker Somsak Kiartsuranont was not at the meeting at the moment.
Abhisit said it did not make sense for Pracha to say that he had not accused him while also calling for a probe panel. However, he agreed with Pracha that MPs’ ID cards should be kept by parliamentary officers if the MP is not at the seat.
Abhisit said he never let others press the electronic ID card for him. There was no reason to do that. While some opposition MPs did not press the card to show presence before voting, he did.
He said there were rounds of voting for many laws related to transport. He had some appointments so he left after he voted on the first law.
“There are two other people that also voted on the first law and did not vote on the second law. But both are Pheu Thai MPs. Why did Pracha not doubt them?” Abhisit asked, adding that if a probe panel is set up, all parliamentarians should be investigated.
He also said the area where he was seated was not shot in the video Pracha claimed as evidence.
“I dare to play all the whole nine minutes of the video and see which part focused on my seat,” Abhisit said.
Pracha said the meeting record of March 14 at 5.43pm, according to the electronic registration, showed Abhisit was present. He also voted on a transportation law at 5.45pm but he did not vote on the following law called at 5.47pm.
Pracha insisted on his evidence. He said Abhisit’s seat was in his line of vision on the day. He did not see Abhisit when the Speaker checked for quorum. He did not see Abhisit leaving either, and it was doubtful that Abhisit said he was leaving while the voting on the next law was called two minutes after the first one.
“If Abhisit has the evidence [that he was in the chamber], I am ready to apologise. But what he has said is not enough,” Pracha said.
