The House of Representatives on Friday voted against allowing the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to summon Klatham MP Chonnaput Naksua in an online gambling case, citing parliamentary immunity during the current legislative session.
The DSI had sent a request to House Speaker Sophon Zarum seeking permission to question the Songkhla MP after the Office of the Attorney-General approved criminal proceedings against him.
MPs and senators are protected by parliamentary immunity while parliament is in session. Any arrest or detention of a lawmaker requires approval from the Speaker of the House of Representatives or the Senate.
Before the vote, the debate revealed a split among the parties. The People's Party and the Democrat Party supported allowing the DSI to proceed, while Bhumjaithai, Prachachat and the Economic parties opposed the request.
Democrat list-MP Sathit Wongnongtoey said granting protection to Mr Chonnaput would affect the integrity and reputation of parliament.
Economic Party list-MP Chris Potranandana said parliamentary immunity should be preserved to prevent the government from using legal action to intimidate opposition lawmakers.
However, he called on Mr Chonnaput to voluntarily cooperate with the justice process without relying on parliamentary protection.
The Klatham politician told the House he was willing to enter the judicial process and would accept the outcome of the vote.
The House voted 308 to 126 against granting the DSI's request, with two abstentions and three members not voting.
The probe stems from a 2023 case involving the online gambling website AK47MAX. The case originated with the DSI's narcotics crime bureau and centres on suspected illegal online gambling and money laundering.
The DSI last questioned Mr Chonnaput in Bangkok in March, when the House was not in session.
After the interrogation, DSI officers took the MP to the Criminal Court to seek his detention. But the court granted his release on 1-million-baht bail, with a ban on travel abroad.
- Explainer : The never-ending legal saga
