Pareena Kraikupt, a Palang Pracharath Party MP for Ratchaburi, has been ordered by the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders to stop performing duty over a reserved forest encroachment case.
The order came after the court accepted a petition by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) that the Ratchaburi MP had committed gross misconduct as a lawmaker, a criminal offence under the revised NACC law.
According to the NACC, Ms Pareena failed to comply with laws and regulations governing the conservation of nature and natural resources, which are of national interest, and had violated ethical standards expected of a lawmaker.
In its subsequent lawsuit, the NACC also asked the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders to suspend Ms Pareena as an MP until the courts hands down a ruling. Her political rights may be revoked for 10 years if she is found guilty.
The proceedings will find whether she violated the code of ethics for politicians and the punishments will only affect her political rights and roles if she is found guilty. A criminal case against her for allegedly encroaching reserved forests may be pursued separately.
After the court accepted the NACC’s petition, it ordered Ms Pareena to stop performing her duty and would notify concerned agencies about the order. The court set April 30 for the examination of witnesses.
Ms Pareena earlier asked the court to allow her to continue performing her MP duty, claiming that she had already returned the land to the state.
Her land ownership dispute came to light in November 2019, when Ruangkrai Leekitwattana, a former member of the dissolved Thai Raksa Chart Party, asked authorities to inspect her 711-rai poultry farm in Ratchaburi's Chom Bung district.
The Royal Forest Department sprang into action and concluded that her farm encroached on public land. It then asked the NACC to take action against the MP.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister's Office Minister Anucha Nakasai, in his capacity as secretary-general of the PPRP, said her case had not yet been discussed by the party.