Pheu Thai politicans grilled by NLA, deny illegal voting and illegal charter changes

The politicians denied the allegations.

At yesterday’s NLA meeting, Pheu Thai’s former Sakon Nakhon MP Narisorn Thongthiras and the party’s former Nonthaburi MP Udomdej Ratanasatien countered the accusations by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).

NACC representative Supa Piyachitti testified before the NLA that a video clip allegedly showing Narisorn using a number of identification cards of House of Representatives members to vote during a House meeting was authentic. 

And after speaking with parliamentary officials, the NACC found that Narisorn did not hold a second ID card, she said.

Supa said the NACC was attempting to find the identities of the MPs whom Narisorn allegedly voted for so they could be brought to justice.
She alleged that Narisorn |had abused his authority.

She said the NACC would |forward the case to the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders for further action.
The punishment for the alleged offence was from one to 10 years in jail, Supa said.

Narisorn admitted that it was him in the footage of the House vote and that he had held the ID cards of colleagues Yuttapong Charassathien and Komdech Chaiyasiwamongkol. But he denied he had voted on their behalf.

The former Pheu Thai MP said that he had some mental problem that caused repetition of action. He said he had a tendency to insert the card into a slot several times before voting because he was forgetful.

Narisorn said that he had undergone surgery for his chronic valvular heart disease in 2011. It had left him with restless hands, he said.

The politician insisted that he respected his then position as a member of the House of Representatives and could not vote on behalf of his colleagues. 

He claimed the aforementioned footage had been doctored as a move against him and he would lodge a petition with the NLA to check its authenticity. 

Regarding Udomdej’s case, Supa pointed to the approved constitutional amendment regarding the origins of the Senate. 

She alleged that the constitution had been tampered with, resulting in three changes that could allow the then Senate to be able to run for the next term’s office when previously the constitution required a two-year pause before retaking the Senate seats.

Udomdej countered that he was not favouring the Senate as alleged. He said the change to the constitution would give the people more options. Allowing the senators to run in an election without a pause did not mean the people would vote for them, he added.

The former MP also said that point was widely known through the media. Former MPs had raised |concerns about the change but they resolved that it was viable because the House president had not yet put the amendment into the meeting agenda.

Udomdej insisted there was only one version of the constitution and no fake copies as alleged.

NLA Vice President Surachai Liengboonlertchai said yesterday that the two accused politicians would make their closing statements for their case next Thursday and the NLA would vote on whether to impeach them on Friday.