Future Forward Party (FFP) leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit denied allegations on Thursday by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) that he helped an anti-coup demonstrator evade arrest in 2015.
Mr Thanathorn spoke during an interview on TV, saying that on May 22, 2015, a young and pro-democracy group calling themselves the New Democracy Movement (NDM) had gathered in front of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre to protest at the one-year anniversary of the coup.
Mr Thanathorn said that at the time the NCPO was still enforcing an order banning the assembly of more than five people.
Some pro-democracy activists from the NDM had then been arrested and later told to report in to Pathumwan police on June 24, 2015, he said.
Mr Thanathorn said that on that day about 200 people turned up at the police station to give moral support to the demonstrators and he was one of them.
After that, the Pathumwan police set them free and they walked out of the station between 9pm and 10pm while those waiting approached them to provide moral support.
"On that day, after I gave them moral support, my driver drove me home. When my car was on Rama IV Road, I came across one of the demonstrators. That demonstrator was Rangsiman Rome and I opened the car window to ask where he was walking to and why he was alone.
"He told me that he was calling a taxi after which I told him I would drive him. I wanted to take care of him because he had just been freed from the police station after he had been fighting for freedom. That's it. My driver told me that on that day my car was followed by a state car," he said.
He said he had not been in contact with Mr Rangsiman again until he was elected as a FFP party-list MP.
Meanwhile, the FFP said it is ready to help Mr Thanathorn fight his political cases against the NCPO.
FFP party-list MP Karom Polpornklang said on Thursday the party has formed a group of lawyers to help Mr Thanathorn tackle the political charges brought by the NCPO.
Mr Karom said anti-NCPO parties have faced a large number of charges in the aftermath of the March 24 election. Among these are lawsuits against Mr Thanathorn and FFP secretary-general Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, which shows the authorities' prejudice against progressives who want to create a welfare state and amend the constitution for greater fairness.
Mr Karom said that these charges are not acceptable and that anti-coup groups are experiencing unfair treatment, adding that a pro-NCPO party should have faced a charge of sedition, inciting unrest and causing a public disturbance under Section 116.
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