Thailand Supreme Court concludes petitioner testimony in Move Forward MPs case

The Supreme Court of Thailand has concluded the final round of petitioner testimony in a case involving 44 former Move Forward Party MPs. The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) filed the petition seeking a ruling on whether the MPs committed serious ethical violations by proposing amendments to Article 112 of the Criminal Code, which concerns lèse-majesté laws.

During the final session, two witnesses provided testimony. Jirawat Aranyakarnon, a former Move Forward MP and current Pheu Thai member, testified that while the party held meetings and invited academics to discuss the proposed amendments, opinions within the party were divided. He noted that he eventually stopped attending meetings regarding the matter due to these disagreements. Dr. Ekkapop Pienpises, a former Move Forward MP and current spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, also testified, stating that he disagreed with the principles of the proposed amendments to the point where he felt unable to continue working with the group.

The court has scheduled the first round of testimony for the defense on November 3 at 09:30. Defense lawyers maintain that the actions of the 44 MPs did not violate ethical standards.