Prawit returns to Parliament, but only to sign his attendance
PPRP leader’s appearance follows claims that he missed 84 of 95 House meetings since July 2023; Prawit offers to return all his earnings as MP and forfeit future salaries
Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) leader and party-list MP Prawit Wongsuwan was spotted in Parliament on Wednesday morning for the first time since last year, but he left immediately after signing his attendance.
Prawit, who was hit with strong public criticism after Pheu Thai Party disclosed that he had allegedly never attended a House meeting since late last year, arrived in Parliament at 7.40am with his bodyguards.
He went upstairs to the second floor and signed his name in the attendance log book outside the MPs meeting hall, purportedly showing he was present for the 9am meeting.
However, immediately after putting his name on the logbook, Prawit left the Parliament compound in his car.
Parliament reporters said Prawit has never been seen in Parliament since Pheu Thai’s Srettha Thavisin was elected as premier last year.
It is believed that Prawit showed up to sign his name after former Pheu Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit alleged that he had checked the record of 95 House meetings between July 3 last year and September 19 this year, and found that Prawit was absent from 84 meetings.
On September 18, Prompong submitted a complaint to Parliament President Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, calling for an investigation into whether Prawit violated MPs' code of ethics by not attending so many House meetings.
On October 1, PPRP secretary-general Paiboon Nititawan said Prawit has decided to return the salary he earned as MP from the time he took the post to September 30. He has asked the House Secretariat to calculate how much he has been paid as MP so that he can return the sum accordingly.
Paiboon said Prawit has also informed the House Secretariat that he will forfeit his MP salary from October 1 to the end of the House’s tenure, as he could not attend meetings. Paiboon said Prawit is often absent because he has many errands to run.
