By Thai Newsroom Reporters
PALANG PRACHARATH LEADER Prawit Wongsuwan today (June 13) categorically denied he might possibly have been connected with an alleged conspiracy against Move Forward leader/prime minister-designate Pita Limjaroenrat.
Prawit confirmed that he had been by no means involved in any legal action currently taken by Ruangkrai Leekitwattana, a Palang Pracharath electoral candidate, against Pita and that it was entirely a personal, and not a partisan, business.
The Palang Pracharath leader who ran in vain for prime minister in the May 14 election said Ruangkrai had never consulted with him about anything pertaining to the legal status of the Move Forward leader/prime minister-designate.
The unelected Palang Pracharath candidate had earlier filed a petition with the Election Commission alleging Pita of holding 42,000 shares in off-air ITV channel, thus purportedly rendering him ineligible to run for MP.
However, a video clip currently available online features ITV board chairman Kim Siritaweechai’s verbal statement made during last April’s shareholders meeting that the media firm was not running any business at the moment, pending a court verdict on its civil lawsuit.
But a written report on minutes of the meeting verified by Kim had been allegedly doctored to say otherwise and filed alongside the firm’s financial status and corporate tax form with the Department of Business Development last month.
The Move Forward will almost certainly take legal action against those involved in the alleged doctoring of the ITV paper, probably including the firm’s board chairman, Intouch Holdings Co., the largest ITV shareholder, and Ruangkrai, among others.
If found guilty by court of filing distorted, untruthful official reports, each of the alleged offenders could possibly be sentenced to a maximum of a 10-year term in prison.
The alleged conspiracy to obstruct Pita’s rise to power has evidently intensified after the Election Commission had resolved to launch investigation into allegations that the Move Forward leader/prime minister-designate had been “well aware” of being disqualified to run for MP due to the ITV shares which he had held and may proceed the case to a court of justice in place of the Constitutional Court.
Election Commission secretary-general Sawaeng Boonmee had lifted separate petitions against Pita otherwise destined for the Constitutional Court for lack of truthful evidence. Those aborted complaints referred to the alleged Move Forward intention to abolish the draconian lese majeste law, better known as Section 112 of the Criminal Code, and the alleged undue influence of a trio of Progressive Movement leaders, namely Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, Piyabutr Saengkanokkul and Pannika Wanich, over the Move Forward rank and file.
Meanwhile, Prawit insisted that Pita be ultimately supposed to head an eight-partner coalition government since the Move Forward has become the largest elected party.
His comments were apparently made in response to criticism that Pita’s archrivals had been more or less involved in an alleged conspiracy to keep him one way or another from assuming the elected premiership.
Those political opponents refer to partisan contestants for prime minister including Pheu Thai candidates Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of de facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra, and Settha Taweesin, Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul, de facto Ruam Thai Sang Chart boss/caretaker prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Prawit.
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Top and Front Page: Palang Pracharath leader Prawit Wongsuwan. Both photos: Thai Rath
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