Court clears MPs of interference charges
Seri Ruam Thai Party head in crosshairs
The Constitutional Court yesterday ruled in favour of two MPs accused of abusing their authority and interfering with the affairs of state agencies and officials.
They are Pareena Kraikupt, a ruling Palang Pracharath Party MP for Ratchaburi, and Srinual Boonlue, an MP for Chiang Mai from Bhumjaithai, also a coalition party.
The ruling was handed down in response to a petition by the House committee on prevention and suppression of corruption and misconduct, filed with the Constitutional Court via House Speaker Chuan Leekpai.
The House committee is headed by Pol Gen Sereepisuth Temeeyaves, leader of the opposition Seri Ruam Thai Party.
The court heard that Ms Pareena had on Oct 29 last year attended a meeting with state officials and residents in Chom Bung district of Ratchaburi, her constituency, to discuss a community forest establishment project. She allegedly told the meeting participants to speed up their work on the project.
The court determined that Mr Pareena’s actions did not amount to interference in the work of any state agencies or officials.
As for Ms Srinual, she was accused of having submitted to Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul an open letter complaining about insufficient accommodation for hospital staff at state-run Chom Thong Hospital in Chom Thong district of Chiang Mai, her constituency, on Oct 22 last year. The letter also was not deemed interference in the allocation of the ministry’s budget as alleged, said the court.
After the ruling, Thotsaphon Pengsom, Ms Pareena’s lawyer, said he will study the ruling to find out who should be held responsible for falsely accusing her. At this point, Ms Pareena intends to file a lawsuit against Pol Gen Sereepisuth as head of the House committee that brought the issue to the court’s attention. Although Ms Pareena and Pol Gen Sereepisuth are both on the same committee, the two have been embroiled in conflicts over various political issues.