Progressive Movement co-founder Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit yesterday reported to police in Bangkok to hear charges filed by the Election Commission (EC) over his alleged media shareholding. The former leader of the now dissolved Future Forward Party (FFP) met investigators at Metropolitan Police Bureau Sub-division 2 yesterday morning.
The EC filed a complaint against him with Thung Song Hong police, accusing him of wrongfully registering as a candidate knowing he was not qualified under Section 151 of the 2018 MP Election Act. The move followed the Constitutional Court's decision disqualifying him from parliament on Nov 20 last year, ruling he still held shares in V-Luck Media Co Ltd on Feb 6, the date the party submitted the names of its party-list candidates for the general election. Mr Thanathorn topped his party's list.
In March, the EC resolved to take criminal action against the auto-parts tycoon. The penalties for the offence are a jail term from one to 10 years, a fine from 20,000 to 200,000 baht and a ban from politics for 20 years. To avoid any confrontation with pro-government yellow-shirt demonstrators at Thung Song Hong police station, police changed the venue to the sub-division 2 building in Don Muang district.
However, a group of 20 to 30 yellow shirts waiting in front of the police station played the old ultra-nationalist song Nak Phaendin (Burden on the Land) and held up paper signs criticising him.
One yellow-shirt demonstrator claimed members of the Progressive Movement team at the police station carried black and red short-wave radios. He questioned whether they had permits to use them and wanted police to investigate.
Mr Thanathorn said he was answering a police summons for him to hear the charges the EC filed against him, which he denied.
He said he was in good spirits even though there were many cases filed against him, and attempts by certain groups to oppress his rights and freedom to travel. He said he refused to be intimidated.
Mr Thanathorn said his media business had also been closed. He said he had proof of the sale of his media shares. He mentioned the Constitutional Court's ruling acquitting government MPs of also holding shares in media companies, particularly the case of Pada Vorakarn, a Palang Pracharath MP for Bangkok. She was found not guilty as her media firm had closed.