THE ELECTION Commission’s investigation committee has ruled that a petition to investigate and disquality Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat for holding a tiny fragment of 0.0035% shares of non-operating ITV channel should be dismissed, TV Channel 7 said this afternoon (Aug. 14).
However the polling agency’s subcommittee has still to decide whether further investigation is required with Pita possibly being asked to testify.
It is also possible that the subcommittee will wait for the Constitutional Court’s ruling on its MP-disqualifying lawsuit against Pita on the charge of holding this minuscule amount of ITV shares.
Electoral candidates may be disqualified by law if found to hold shares of any media firms.
The committee said that this petition should be dismissed because under the Section 151 of the election organic law filing a criminal case requires clear evidence. The panel found that when registration of electoral contestants took place during April 4-7 ITV was not operating and earning income from media production.
The committee’s report was sent to the polling agency’s secretary-general who in turn assigned the deputy secretary-general to distribute copies to sub-committee members to again assess and rule on this petition before informing the main body of its decision.
Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, the former Future Forward leader, had engaged in similar legal battles which finally resulted in the Constitutional Court’s verdict to ban him and the then-members of the progressive party’s executive board from politics for a 10-year time and dissolve the party which has practically resurrected as the Move Forward.
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Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat. Top photo: Thai Rath, Front Page photo: Matichon
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