Activist Srisuwan Janya has filed a petition with the Election Commission to probe the claims made by 13 Future Forward MPs that they had been offered up to 120 million baht each to switch sides and vote for Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha as prime minister.
Thirteen FFP MPs said at a briefing on Tuesday they had been offered 30-120 million baht each to vote for Gen Prayut. During the prime ministerial vote the next day, none of the FFP's MPs voted for him.
Such an act violates Section 149 the Criminal Code and Sections 28, 29, 44, 46 and 88 of the 2017 Political Parties Act, he claimed.
“It’s an act of toppling the rule of the country or acquiring power through means other than what is prescribed in the Constitution, a ground for dissolution of a party,” he said.
Mr Srisuwan urged the FFP to take legal action against those who allegedly made the offers without delay.
“This is to clear its name and criticism that it held a briefing for political gains ahead of the prime ministerial vote,” he said.
Failure to do that could lead to the removal of its executives. They could be fined 50,000 baht each and banned from politics for five years, he added.
On Thursday, Taopiphop Limjittrakorn, one of the MPs who made the claim, said he was not sure what he had said at the briefing implicated or adversely affected Mr Srisuwan in any way.
“I insist I was offered 120 million baht and several of my fellow MPs who were also approached have evidence. It’s up to the party whether we should disclose the evidence, such as sound clips. If the party votes to allow us to show evidence, I’m ready to do so," he said.
In any case, he said he did not believe the person who offered him 120 million baht would make good on the promise. “It’s possible he may give me 10 million baht and then disappear,” said the Bangkok MP for Khlong San, Bangkok Yai and Thonburi districts.
To him, 120 million baht is the price of not just one vote, but also the creditability of all new-generation politicians, as well as the FFP. “I’m one of the 26 founders of the party and if I accept the offer, it will destroy everything we have painstakingly built,” said Mr Taopiphop, who was arrested two years ago for brewing and selling craft beer without a licence.
By law, a commercial brewer must produce 10 million litres a year while a small commercial one must make at least 100,000 litres a year. The limitations prompted Mr Taopiphop to enter politics.
