FFP makes legal threat in loan case

FFP makes legal threat in loan case

Future Forward Party secretary-general Piyabutr Saengkanokkul threatens to take legal action against the Election Commission. (Bangkok Post file photo)
Future Forward Party secretary-general Piyabutr Saengkanokkul threatens to take legal action against the Election Commission. (Bangkok Post file photo)

Future Forward Party (FFP) secretary-general Piyabutr Saengkanokkul on Friday threatened to take legal action against the Election Commission (EC) if it was found to have abused its authority in a case involving a large party loan.

Mr Piyabutr made the threat as he questioned the EC's decision to summons a large number of documents related to the 100-million-baht FFP leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit loaned the party.

The poll agency this week resolved not to extend last Monday's deadline for the submission of the documents after the party called for more time to prepare evidence.

According to Mr Piyabutr, the FFP has submitted documents related to the loan including the contract and debt payments while the documents it has failed to submit are either irrelevant to the case or must be submitted to the EC on an annual basis.

He also pointed out that the EC has yet to file a formal charge against the party or Mr Thanathorn.

"The EC has demanded the documents that the party is required to submit on a yearly basis by April [next year]. Such a demand could be seen as creating a burden for the party to prepare the documents by Dec 2 this year. This may lead to a question about the poll agency's use of authority," he said.

He said the party reserves the right to take legal action against the EC if it is found to have abused its power in the case.

The EC took up the case in response to activist Srisuwan Janya's request in May that the poll agency investigate whether Mr Thanathorn broke the law by extending a loan worth over 100 million baht to his own party.

Mr Srisuwan cited Section 66 of the organic law on political parties which bars any individual from handing money or assets to parties in excess of 10 million baht in any 12-month period. Mr Thanathorn says he lent the money to fund election campaigning because the FFP was unable to raise enough funds in the short period after its launch on Oct 3, last year.

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