PUBLISHED: 1 Apr 2025 at 05: 27
Past Bangkok MP Sira Jenjaka has been sentenced to a time in jail for contesting the 2019 general election despite knowing he was not qualified to do so.
The Criminal Court on Monday found him guilty of standing in the poll with the whole knowledge that he was disqualified on account of having been convicted of fraud by the Pathumwan District Court in 1995 and sentenced to eight months in jail.
The prison sentence disqualified him from competing in primaries, as determined by the Constitutional Court.
According to prosecutors, Sira registered his nomination to run in Bangkok’s Constituency 9 on Feb 4, 2019, about five months before the vote.
He was totally aware he was ineligible to run as a Palang Pracharath Party candidate at the time of membership, the judge was told.
On Dec 17, 2020, past federal police chief Pol Gen Sereepisuth Temeeyaves, the head of the Seriruamthai Party, petitioned the Constitutional Court seeking a decision on Sira’s MP position, citing his 1995 scam faith as grounds for removing him.
The Constitutional Court after ruled that Sira broke the election laws.
The Election Commission immediately took legal actions against him in the Criminal Court.
This court on Monday ordered Sira to remain jailed for one season and his right to run in elections to be invalidated for 20 years. Sira’s attorney applied for his launch on parole Monday evening.