Proxy-voting MP gets 1-year jail term

Thanikan: Let other MP cast House vote
Thanikan: Let some other MP cast House vote

The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division with regard to Holders of Politics Positions yesterday sentenced Thanikan Pornpongsaroj, a ruling Palang Pracharath Party MP to get Bangkok, to one 12 months in jail and ordered her to pay a 200, 000-baht fine for election fraud during the Homes deliberation of a bill in 2019.

Thanikan, forty two, is the first MEGA-PIXEL of the governing part of receive a jail word. Her MP status is now suspended. One more three Bhumjaithai Celebration MPs are charged in a similar case and await a court hearing.

Deliberation associated with Thanikan’s voting irregularity was based on evidence submitted to the Workplace of the Attorney-General (OAG) by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) in 2020. The evidence centered on the defendant having given her electronic voting card to a different MP who after that cast an election on her behalf despite Thanikan not becoming present in the holding chamber.

The incident occurred during the House’s deliberation of a bill on Aug 8, 2019, during which Thanikan appeared inside a panel discussion on the Institute of Academic Development in Dusit district at 1 . 42pm. However , the girl vote was signed up in the House during the initial reading of the California king Rama X Rajaruchi Medal Bill with 1 . 41pm on that same day time.

The particular court pointed out that voting is the right only of MPs who else attend the House meeting pertaining to a bill and that proxy voting can be unlawful as stipulated under article 72 of House rules.

The girl action was deemed to be malfeasance plus an abuse of power that defamed parliament and the law-making process.

The OAG required the court punish the defendant below section 172 of Anti-Corruption Act 2018. Thanikan denied violating the act.

The courtroom handed down an one-year jail sentence for that former MP plus issued a fine of 200, 000 baht. However , the prison term was suspended for two years as this was the defendant’s 1st offence.