EC reveals details of criminal action against Thanathorn
The Election Commission (EC) has disclosed details of the criminal case it has lodged against Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, former leader of the now-dissolved Future Forward Party, after he was disqualified as MP by the Constitutional Court in November last year.
That case stemmed from the EC making three accusations against Thanathorn. The first and second accusations involved an allegation that he owned or held shares in a media company, the third was related to shares in 13 companies of the Thai Summit Group.
A Constitutional Court investigation found that Thanathorn still held shares in V-Luck Media on February 6, 2019, the day the Future Forward Party submitted its list of party-list MPs.
The findings showed that Thanathorn went ahead with applying as an MP despite the knowledge that holding the shares were in violation of the Organic Act on MPs – Articles 151 and 42 (3).
The investigation into the first accusation was then halted, with Thanathorn facing criminal prosecution as per the Organic Act. If found guilty he faces up to 10 years in jail and a fine of up to Bt200,000.
He will also lose his election rights and be forced to give up his parliamentary allowance and other benefits to the Secretariat of the House of Representatives.
The Constitutional Court has yet to rule on the second and third.