Move Forward expels failed MP candidate over sexual violence

The penalties against the two members were announced by party spokesman Parit Wacharasindhu and Sasinan Thamnithinan, a Bangkok MP and a member of the party’s disciplinary panel.

The spokesman said there were four sexual violence accusations against four members of the party – three MPs and a failed MP candidate. The party had wrapped up its investigation against two of them and meted out penalties while investigations were still going on in two other cases.

Parit announced that the party had resolved to expel Kriangkrai Jankokphueng, a failed MP candidate from Chaiyaphum province, immediately after the disciplinary panel found that the sexual violence accusations against him were convincing.

Parit did not elaborate but party sources said the disciplinary panel had learned that Kriangkrai had allegedly raped a spokeswoman of a political party on June 27.

The party learned that Kriangkrai had posted an apology to the woman on his X (formerly Twitter) account before he closed all his social media accounts.

Parit said the party also resolved to deprive Sirin Sanguansin, a Bangkok MP, of all the rights in the party, banning him from being appointed to any party post or the post of House chairman of the Move Forward’s quota.

Parit said the penalty was one step short of an expulsion and if the MP committed similar offences, he would be expelled from the party immediately.

Parit said the disciplinary panel had found that Sirin had engaged in a public brawl and committed violence as reported by the media. Parit did not elaborate.

It was earlier reported that a woman, who had been in a relationship with Sirin for a month, had filed a complaint against Sirin at the Borwin Police Station in Chonburi province.

She accused Sirin of punching her in the face and pulling her hair and throwing her mobile phone on the road while they were travelling together in a car on June 23 in Tambon Borwin of Chonburi’s Si Racha district.

After Sirin reportedly apologised to her, the woman withdrew her complaint with police.

Parit said the party’s disciplinary panel was also conducting investigations against Prachinburi MP Wutthipong Thonglar and an unnamed MP.

Parit said the party mentioned Wutthipong’s name because it had been widely reported in the media, while the other MP’s name was withheld because it had not been made public.

Parit said the disciplinary panel had started the probe in Wutthipong’s case in August by inviting all sides concerned to testify throughout September.

The panel was checking more evidence and would make a conclusion within this month.

In the case of the unnamed MP, Parit said the party had not received complaints but the party had contacted the affected woman to testify. The woman was preparing information before she would come to talk to the panel, Parit added.

The spokesman said Move Forward would soon restructure its disciplinary panel to have more specialists from outside to help the party conduct probe into sexual violence cases.

The party would also hold meetings to instruct its members and MPs to respect the rights of the other sex and to refrain from touching their body, Parit added.