A formal request for the arrest of Thai Progressive Party MP Chaiyamparwaan Manpianjit, who is accused of raping a Taiwanese woman in Chiang Mai last month, has been sent to the House of Representatives.
The national police chief sent the letter after a court in Chiang Mai issued an arrest warrant for the Bangkok MP.
Due to his MP status, the House requires a formal request letter so that it can allow him to be prosecuted.
The letter will be considered by parliament at a meeting on Thursday next week, said Pol Sub Lt Arpath Sukhanunth, secretary-general of the House of Representatives. However, whether the matter will be discussed during the session depends on the agenda for that day, he added.
If Mr Chaiyamparwaan turns himself in before the meeting, the matter will be removed from the agenda, said Pol Sub Lt Arpath.
The MP’s team told the media that he would not attend the Feb 20 meeting as he will be on a field mission. A public statement on his behalf will be issued when he is ready, they said.
According to reports, Mr Chaiyamparwaan is currently in Bangkok and plans to surrender before the meeting on Feb 20. His legal team maintains that the sex was consensual and denies the rape allegations.
In 2023, Mr Chaiyamparwaan was expelled from the Move Forward Party, after an internal investigation concluded that he had sexually harassed three assistants.
It is not known whether parliamentarians plan an ethical investigation into Mr Chaiyamparwaan’s actions. Pol Sub Lt Arpath noted that an ethics committee has only recently been formed, and it is uncertain whether any member would raise the issue or if someone would file a complaint.
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