NACC petition says 44 ex-MFP MPs sought to undermine monarchy

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) said in a petition filed with the Supreme Court on Thursday that 44 former Move Forward Party (MFP) MPs showed clear intent to undermine the monarchy through their bid to amend Article 112 of the Criminal Code.

The petition, registered as black case No. Komjor 1/2569, seeks action against Pita Limjaroenrat and the 43 others for alleged serious ethical violations.

The case stems from the group’s joint proposal, made between 2021 and 2023, to amend the Criminal Code in a way that the NACC says would reduce the level of protection afforded to the monarchy. The filing also refers to the Constitutional Court’s earlier ruling that the push to amend Article 112 amounted to an exercise of rights and liberties aimed at overthrowing the democratic system with the King as Head of State.

Petition says conduct showed hostile intent and threatened state security

The petition says all 44 respondents acted improperly in a manner that could affect the security of the Kingdom and the dignity of the head of state. It says they continued to push the bill even after the Secretariat of the House of Representatives had warned them about deficiencies in the proposal.

According to the petition, that conduct showed clear hostile intent to undermine one of the country’s principal institutions, failed to uphold constitutional rule and caused serious and widespread damage to the nation. The NACC argues that the Supreme Court should therefore determine penalties under Article 235 of the Constitution and related laws in order to uphold ethical standards for political office-holders.

NACC seeks suspensions and wide-ranging political bans

The NACC has asked the court to order 10 of the respondents to immediately stop performing their duties from the date the petition is accepted. It is also seeking a ruling removing all 44 from office, permanently revoking their right to stand for election and hold political office, and suspending their voting rights for up to 10 years.

The matter now awaits the Supreme Court’s decision on whether it will accept the petition for consideration.