By Thai Newsroom Reporters
FORMER OUTSPOKEN WOMAN MP Pareena Kraikupt was today (Mar. 18) ordered by court to pay a sum of 7.6 million baht in cash to cover the Election Commission’s expenses on a by-election to replace her a couple of years ago.
The Ratchaburi Provincial Court delivered the order as earlier requested by the polling agency for the deposed Palang Pracharath MP to pay the 7.6 million baht compensation for the expenses incurred in the by-election to find a new lawmaker for one of Ratchaburi’s constituencies where she had earlier represented at parliament.
In 2022, Pareena was deprived by court of her MP status for having illegally encroached upon and occupied a 700-plus rai of forest reserve land which she had evidently turned into a chicken-raising farm in Chom Bueng district of the western province.
The former lawmaker was required by court to hand over the 7.6 million baht compensation in cash to the polling agency in 30 days’ time as of today in addition to having imposed a lifetime ban on contesting future elections at any level and a 10-year ban from casting votes in future elections at any level.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission today filed a lawsuit with the Appeals Court in pursuit of a retroactive court order to prohibit Palang Pracharath MP Ratchanee Polsue from contesting or casting votes in future elections at any level due to a vote-buying charge earlier filed against the woman lawmaker of Roi-et.
In 2022, Ratchanee alongside her spouse/former MP Ekapap Polsue and son Ekarat Polsue had allegedly bought votes from kamnan and puyaiban clubs of Roi-et ahead of the election of head of the provincial administration which she had contested and won.
Out of a total of 20 kamnan and puyaiban clubs of the northeastern province, Ratchanee had allegedly handed out a 10,000 baht payoff to seven clubs each in exchange for votes.
It remains to be seen how many years she might possibly be banned by court from either contesting future elections or casting votes in future elections at any level.
Her spouse, Ekapap, had earlier been banned from contesting future elections at any level for life due to an electoral rigging which he had allegedly perpetrated whilst contesting for head of administration of the same northeastern province.
CAPTIONS:
Top and Front Page: Former MP Pareena Kraikupt. Top photo: Thai Rath, Front Page photo: Matichon
Insert: Palang Pracharath MP Ratchanee Polsue. Photo: Matichon
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