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Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit was ordered by police on Tuesday to provide his statement on the lese-majeste case against him by May 7.
The leader of the Progressive Movement group reported to Nang Loeng Police Station in response to a summons, to acknowledge the lese-majeste and computer crimes charges.
Thanathorn stands accused by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society of violating Section 112 of the Criminal Code, which prohibits lese-majeste, and violating the Computer Crime Act. He has denied any wrongdoing.
The charges are related to a Facebook Live session in January when he questioned the government’s coronavirus vaccine strategy and the role of Siam Bioscience (SBS), a company owned by the Crown Property Bureau.
“I provided those comments because I wish Thai people could gain faster access to vaccines so that the country can reopen faster,” he said.
“The Facebook Live session helped because the government changed its procurement plan afterward, which allowed people to access vaccines faster than initially planned,” he added.
In the session, he asked why SBS is the sole company the government is allowing to produce vaccines in Thailand.
He said the government might be doing this to boost the reputation of the royal institution, which has faced heavy criticism by protestors since the latest pro-democracy movement began last year.
He also said the strategy of relying on a single company to produce the vaccine domestically, and on only two foreign producers for imports, had delayed the inoculation rollout.
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said this month that there has been no delay, and it was AstraZeneca who picked SBS, not the Thai government.
The minister’s comments came after Thanathorn called him a liar during a Clubhouse session for saying that AstraZeneca had chosen SBS as its regional producer and distributor.
Thanathorn also said that the minister lied when he said that SBS will be able to produce enough vaccines to inoculate the 30 million people by the end of the year as planned.
Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code makes it illegal to defame, insult, or threaten the Thai monarchy, with penalties ranging from three to 15 years in prison.
After the summoning on Tuesday, the next legal step is for Thanathorn to provide his statesman to the prosecutor, set for May 7.