Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat is under investigation by the Election Commission (EC) for running for office despite knowing his alleged ineligibility due to holding media shares.
Three petitions were filed against him after the election for allegedly holding media shares, which could disqualify him from taking office.
The EC dropped the three petitions due to a technicality, they were filed after an internal deadline, but they initiated a formal investigation into the alleged criminal violation.
The violation carries a jail sentence of 1-20 years and a 20-year voting ban, which would prevent Pita from assuming office.
Pita initially applied for office in 2019 and was elected as an MP for the dissolved Future Forward Party (FFP) before becoming MFP’s leader.
Pita said he holds the 42,000 iTV shares as an administrator of his father’s inheritance.
He stated that iTV stopped operating as a media company when it ceased broadcasting in 2007.
Pita filed the shares as part of his assets with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) in 2019. However, the NACC determined it was filed after he took office. They also insisted that the decision to disqualify Pita is up to the EC, not them.
On Sunday night, Channel 3 recorded discrepancies with an iTV’s shareholders’ meeting taking place on April 26 this year. Despite the fact the station is no longer broadcasting, a video recording of the meeting showed a member asking about the media status of the company.
The minutes also mentioned a query about iTV’s media status raised by a shareholder named Panuwat Kwanyuen but the details were different.
According to the report, the chairperson of the meeting, Kim Siritaweechai, responded by stating that the company was operating normally.
However, a video clip showed a different scenario. Panuwat asked the same question, and this time, Kim responded by stating that the company had not been involved in any operations and was awaiting the resolution of a pending legal case.
MFP claims that this discrepancy is part of an effort to prevent Pita from becoming prime minister, questioning the possible involvement of iTV executives.
Investigations by Intouch Holdings (iTV’s parent company), EC, NACC, and the Securities and Exchange Commission are ongoing.
The EC is expected to certify the 2023 election results soon, allowing the Parliament to convene and vote for the House Speaker and Prime Minister.
If Pita becomes PM, he would still face the ongoing EC probe and other allegations regarding media shares, refilled on Monday by one of the previous petitioners.
He also faces other allegations, including alcohol advertising and a lese-majeste complaint for his comments to BBC.
These are criminal charges that could result in jail time and disqualification from office as well.