The opposition on Monday vowed to proceed with legal action against Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra in three alleged ethical misconduct cases which it grilled the premier over in the recent no confidence debate.
Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, a People’s Party list-MP, told a press conference that the main opposition party was committed to seeking legal action against the prime minister even though she easily survived the no-confidence vote thanks to overwhelming support from coalition MPs.
He described the move as “operation rubbing salt into the wound”.
The first case concerns the PM’s use of a promissory note (PN) in her claimed acquisition of shares from her family worth 4.43 billion in total, which should have been subject to 218.7 million baht in gift tax, had the PN not been used in lieu of the usual payment method, said Mr Wiroj.
It was highly unusual for the prime minister to not specify when and how the payment for the acquired shares was actually due to be made, he said, adding how interest incurred through delaying the payment using the PN had not been mentioned.
All these factors had called into question the real intention behind Ms Paetongtarn's use of the PN, which Mr Wiroj believed to be a hidden transaction used to tactically avoid paying the gift tax required for her acquiring these shares.
The Pepple's Party was still waiting for an answer from the Revenue Department to an inquiry it had submitted on March 28. The opposition party asked whether the premier’s use of the PN in this case was simply a ploy to avoid paying the required gift tax, said Mr Wiroj.
The Pepple's Party firmly believes it has solid evidence to prove the land title deeds were illegitimately issued as ownership of the four plots of land could not be transferred, said Mr Wiroj.
In the third case, the Pepple's Party has petitioned the NACC to probe the PM’s alleged failure to, as both prime minister and a daughter of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, respond to the many questions raised over whether Thaksin had been granted privileges when he received treatment for months in a premium ward on the 14th floor of the Police General Hospital for illness many doubted ever existed.