Court rules on 2020 voting card use saga
The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office-Holders has handed down nine-month jail sentences and revoked the political rights of three former Bhumjaithai Party MPs who allowed other lawmakers to use their voting cards when the House deliberated the budget bill in 2020.
The ruling was read out at the court on Thursday afternoon in response to a lawsuit filed by prosecutors against Chalong Thoetwiraphong, a former Bhumjaithai MP for Phatthalung in Constituency 2; Phumsit Khongmi, a former Bhumjaithai MP for Phatthalung in Constituency 1; and Natee Ratchakitprakanr, a former Bhumjaithai list MP.
They were accused of dereliction of duty for allowing other lawmakers to get hold of their MP cards during the vote in 2020, which resulted in the second and third readings being ruled illegitimate.
Their action was found to be in breach of Section 172 of the Organic Act on Counter Corruption, which makes violators liable to up to 10 years in jail or a fine ranging from 20,000 baht to 200,000 baht or both.
The court then handed down nine-month prison sentences to each of the three ex-MPs and revoked their political rights with immediate effect. All three sought bail as they said they would appeal. The court released them on bail of a million baht each.
They argued earlier that allowing others to use their cards would not benefit them as the draft law could still be passed by a government vote.
Prosecutors filed the lawsuit after the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) found grounds for the allegations against them and one more former MP.
Thanikan Phonphongsarot, an ex-Palang Pracharath Party MP for Bangkok, was sentenced last August to a year in prison and fined 200,000 baht, but the jail term was suspended for two years.