Urgent : Court to consider shares case against Thanathorn, suspends him from office

[snoop1130]

Urgent : Court to consider shares case against Thanathorn, suspends him from office

By The Nation

 

File photo : Future Forward leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit

 

The Constitutional Court on Thursday unanimously agreed to accept the case to consider whether Future Forward leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit should be disqualified as an MP candidate due to questions about the timing of his handing over of shares in a media company in the lead-up to the recent election.

 

The Court also ordered that the anti-junta politician be suspended from office until the case is settled. That order will prevent Thanathorn from entering Parliament on Thursday.

 

Thanathorn has been accused of holding shares in media company V-Luck after the election period had started, which is prohibited under the Constitution and electoral laws.

 

Thanathorn has denied the accusation, claiming that he transferred the shares to his mother long before the deadline.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30369888

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-05-23

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[Thaiwrath]

<deleted> disgrace.

His only mistake, was being popular.

[Thailand]

The cue for dems and BJP to confirm they are the junta's bitches.

[AGareth2]

ah!

a Baldric cunning plan

[Wilsonandson]

The more popular you are the faster you fall. Bye, Thanathorn, "You should of chosen the junta." Ringing in his ears.

In the distance the cackle and laughter of Prayut.

[holy cow cm]

And let's wait for the what particular fallout is instore for the Juntas as this seriously will not be taken lightly. 

[ocddave]

As the Junta inches closer and closer to Civil War, just a matter of time now before we end up with violence again, maybe that's what the junta wants? Bring the tanks and new US sourced Armored Personnel carriers in to the city and cement military rule forever.

[Bkkjimbo]

This guy will not stop he only just got started he is the disruptor this country needs to move forward. This guy could make Thailand serious global players but they just got to let him get started and stop this foolish act of damaging his rep.

 

My only criticism is he should have the means to prove that phone call took place and it's not so difficult when you have means. Hope he is holding that back as an Ace.

[Eligius]

There is no hope for Thai freedom, dignity and democracy - ZERO hope - unless the Thai people ACT.

But they have (massively, overwhelmingly, stunningly) done NOTHING for the past 5 years.

 

Will they now finally change the habit of half a decade? I hope so - 

but I seriously doubt it.

 

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, Thaiwrath said:

<deleted> disgrace.

His only mistake, was being popular.

Do you know the legal details?

You know, some time ago there was this guy who didn't declare his shares. And the judges let him get away with it. And he called it a honest mistake. The rest is history. I wonder how many of those judges had second thoughts about their decision.

 

Thanathorn is popular but that does not mean he is innocent. If he is guilty then he should be punished according to the laws. And obviously all the other politicians should be judged by the same standards.

[Jack100]

I am 100 %  sure that he also picked some illegal wild  mushrooms ....

[Denim]

So...no surprise there but beggars the question ...what about the members of Palang Pracharat reported to be guilty of the same ' offence '.

 

All very sad. This country is in the hands of a few ' good ' people intent on lining their pockets while the country gets flushed down the drain.

 

 

[Prairieboy]

It makes me sick - Thailand's hopes for the future, dashed!

 

[4MyEgo]

46 minutes ago, Eligius said:

There is no hope for Thai freedom, dignity and democracy - ZERO hope - unless the Thai people ACT.

But they have (massively, overwhelmingly, stunningly) done NOTHING for the past 5 years.

 

Will they now finally change the habit of half a decade? I hope so - 

but I seriously doubt it.

 

No doubt this would only encourage the army to repeat what it did in 2010 in Bangkok, where at least 80 civilians and 6 soldiers were killed, not to mention over 2,000 people injured.

 

I think sanctions from countries around the world are required and boycotting everything Thai would slowly remove these clowns, i.e. hit the elite who protect them for their own causes, then watch them remove them when hit in the pocket.

[jonclark]

It is not very often I use Twitter but #standwiththanatorn is going mental. There is real anger at this from those millions who voted for change. 140000 tweets in the past 2 hours. Of my favorites was the one "if we burn you burn. And our seed will grow back stronger while yours will wither." 

[marinediscoking]

35 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Thanathorn is popular but that does not mean he is innocent. If he is guilty then he should be punished according to the laws. And obviously all the other politicians should be judged by the same standards.

You mean the same laws and courts that saw no legal issue with watchman or the extreme wealth of the Junta leader?

You seem blind to what is going on here.

[Eligius]

19 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

No doubt this would only encourage the army to repeat what it did in 2010 in Bangkok, where at least 80 civilians and 6 soldiers were killed, not to mention over 2,000 people injured.

 

I think sanctions from countries around the world are required and boycotting everything Thai would slowly remove these clowns, i.e. hit the elite who protect them for their own causes, then watch them remove them when hit in the pocket.

I think you are right, 4MyEgo (above) re. foreign countries invoking sanctions. I hope that the international community will act in a way that the current situation demands. Sadly, I very much doubt that they will.

 

I still think that many millions (I'm not talking about mere thousands, as in the past) of Thais expressing (in a peaceful manner)  their disapprobation  with what is going on is the only long-term way  out of the current impasse.

Sadly - again - I see no sign that such a MASS expression of popular will (in a way that has impact - not just Tweets) is going to be forthcoming. 

 

 

[cornishcarlos]

If this guy is serious about making a change, he will spend some of his millions organising peaceful protests. That doesn't mean paying people to march to BKK but it takes a lot of cash to fund a few hundred thousand people camping out !! 

Only then will the people at the top take any notice.. Shut down the country, shut down their income and shut down the sham...

[madmitch]

Yet Prawit was allowed to continue in his roles during his watch investigation by the NACC. I suppose it wasn't the Courts but even so, i is so obvious that it's one rule for the military, one rule for their opponents.

[tomacht8]

The suspension comes fast. Even before a conviction. Thailand in the stranglehold of dark, undemocratic powers.

[snoop1130]

Thai anti-junta politician suspended ahead of the opening of parliament

 

FILE PHOTO: Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, leader of the Future Forward Party attends a news conference to form a "democratic front" in Bangkok, Thailand, March 27, 2019. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun/File Photo

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - A court in Thailand suspended the leader of an anti-junta political party as a member of parliament on Thursday, a day ahead of the opening of the legislature for the first time since a disputed March 24 election.

 

The Election Commission endorsed rising political star Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, 40, as a member of parliament this month but it later launched a case against him over his alleged illegal holding of shares in a media company.

 

Thanathorn, who has emerged as a thorn in the side of the military government, is now barred from taking up his seat pending a ruling by the Constitutional Court, which could see him permanently disqualified.

 

"The court has unanimously decided to accept the case for consideration and will send a document asking the accused to refute the charge within 15 days," the court said in a statement.

 

The court did not say when it would deliver a verdict but said the suspension was necessary because Thanathorn's role as a member of parliament could "cause legal problems" for the legislature.

 

Thanathorn's new progressive, youth-oriented Future Forward Party came a surprise third in the March general election and has joined up with an opposition "democratic front" that aims to block junta chief Prayuth Chan-ocha from staying on as prime minister.

 

The Election Commission accused Thanathorn of breaching the constitution by holding shares in a media company after registering as a candidate for the election.

 

Thanathorn has denied the charge and said he had already transferred his shares before he officially registered.

 

Nine Constitutional Court judges voted unanimously to accept the case and eight voted to suspend Thanathorn's status as a member of parliament until the court delivers a verdict.

 

If found guilty, Thanathorn's member of parliament status would be revoked.

 

A Future Forward spokeswoman questioned the court's decision.

 

"Based on the law, the decision to suspend Thanathorn is rather strange," the spokeswoman, Pannikar Wanich, told Reuters.

 

"Even though Thanathorn's member of parliament role is suspended, he remains the prime minister candidate for the Future Forward party," she said.

 

The Future Forward leader also faces two criminal charges, one for computer crime for a speech he posted on Facebook criticising the junta last year, and another for sedition for allegedly aiding anti-junta protesters in 2015.

 

Thanathorn, the heir to an auto-parts fortune, is a fresh face in Thai politics that has for the past decade and a half been divided between the royalist-military establishment and ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his loyalists.

 

Newly crowned king Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Sutida will preside over the opening of parliament on Friday, as elected lawmakers convene for the first time since a 2014 coup.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-05-23

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[anchadian]

[bannork]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Do you know the legal details?

You know, some time ago there was this guy who didn't declare his shares. And the judges let him get away with it. And he called it a honest mistake. The rest is history. I wonder how many of those judges had second thoughts about their decision.

 

Thanathorn is popular but that does not mean he is innocent. If he is guilty then he should be punished according to the laws. And obviously all the other politicians should be judged by the same standards.

Thaksin hid millions of baht in the names of his gardeners and maids for years. The logical assumption was that the money was used to buy stocks and shares in anonymous names, thus boosting the stock price artificially, this is called stock manipulation.

Thanathon, on the other hand, held shares in a company that I believe had ceased trading.

 

[anchadian]

Jonathan Head

 

No-one in Thailand who is honest can now deny that the courts are being used to finish Thanathorn because he proved so popular in the election for his anti-military stance. The list of cases piled against him is absurd. Will his supporters protest? Not like in Indonesia.

[arithai12]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Do you know the legal details?

You know, some time ago there was this guy who didn't declare his shares. And the judges let him get away with it. And he called it a honest mistake. The rest is history. I wonder how many of those judges had second thoughts about their decision.

 

Thanathorn is popular but that does not mean he is innocent. If he is guilty then he should be punished according to the laws. And obviously all the other politicians should be judged by the same standards.

 

Let me rephrase:

Being popular means you are not innocent.

 

 

 

Yes we do know the legal details, and the precedents. If we was guilty, do you really think he would still be out in a limbo? He would have been zapped right away. They are just dragging this in all possible manners to prevent him from being a risk to the decisions on the new (well, old) government.

[toenail]

What a pity. Thanathorn is well educated, very “international savvy “, and has a compassion for Thailand’s future. Meanwhile you have the old cronies ( junta) trying to control Thailand’s progress & democracy. 

[rebo]

How long will it take to get the people onto the streets ...?

 

[GarryP]

7 minutes ago, rebo said:

How long will it take to get the people onto the streets ...?

 

I think the question should be, What will it take to get the people on the street ? Although that is something Thanathorn said he does not want is it will be playing into the hands of the junta and its cronies.

[DrTuner]

1 minute ago, GarryP said:

I think the question should be, What will it take to get the people on the street ? 

Somebody must carry them there while they eat somtam. They can't be arsed to go themselves.

[Orton Rd]

These b astards will have gone too far if they ban him or sentence him, this is just a witch hunt.