EC orders legal action against “Mayor Absentee”, Mayor of Thanyaburi, who held a party to help “Chan” become Mayor of the Provincial Administrative Organization, revealing a severe penalty of 1-10 years in prison and 20 years of revocation of rights.
Reporters reported that the Election Commission Office has sent a letter dated September 9 to the Election Commission Office in Pathum Thani Province, informing them to prosecute 2 criminal charges against Mr. Kritsada Leenawarat or “Mayor Biew”, the Mayor of Thanyaburi Subdistrict Municipality, Pathum Thani Province, in the case of the Election Commission investigating and ordering the election of the new mayor of Pathum Thani Provincial Administrative Organization to replace Mr. Chan Phuangphet who was elected on June 30, 2024.
The 2 charges that the EC has ordered to prosecute Mr. Kritsada are cases of advertising for election by organizing entertainment or entertainment, and providing or accepting to provide entertainment to anyone, according to Section 65
(3) and (4) of the Local Government Election Act 2019, which resulted in the election of the provincial administrative organization president that Mr. Chan was elected as being dishonest and unfair. The prosecution of the 2 charges will be punishable under Section 126, with imprisonment of 1-10 years, a fine of 20,000 to 200,000 baht, or both, and the court will order the revocation of that person’s voting rights for a period of 20 years.
The EC’s resolution was due to the fact that after the EC of the local government organization, with the approval of the provincial EC, scheduled the election of the mayor of Pathum Thani Provincial Administrative Organization on Sunday, June 30, 2024, during the election campaign on June 8, 2024, Mr. Kritsada organized an ordination ceremony for Mr. Samitthipat Leenawarat, his son, with ‘Lam Yai Hai Thongkham’ performing a concert and Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra traveling to join the event. Mr. Chan did not attend the event, but it is well known in the area that the team of the
mayor of Thanyaburi Subdistrict Municipality is the same team as Mr. Chan. Mr. Thaksin attending the event and meeting and talking with the attendees, who are eligible voters, including the red shirts, is a way to boost Mr. Chan’s popularity and is a weight that makes the EC see that Mr. Kritsada is a person who played a part in making the election of the mayor of Pathum Thani Provincial Administrative Organization, which Mr. Chan was elected, unfair and unjust. Therefore, an order was given to elect a new president of the Pathum Thani Provincial Administrative Organization and to prosecute Mr. Kritsada in criminal court.
Source: Thai News Agency