Move Forward MP from Rayong may be be disqualified over prison record

The source said the Rayong election committee had sent its decision against Move Forward MP Nahhonchai Khunnarong, who was elected in Rayong’s Constituency 3, to the EC office.

The EC office is in the process of gathering and verifying evidence, the source said.

Once it finishes reviewing the evidence, it will forward the case to all five commissioners for a final decision.

If they agree that Nakhonchai was not qualified to contest the May 14 election because he had served a jail term, the EC will ask the Constitutional Court to annul his MP status and a by-election will be held to replace him, the source said.

The Rayong election committee received a complaint during the application-registration period that Nakhonchai was not qualified to contest the election because he served time in jail.

At the time, the Rayong election committee received only the number of police case and could not locate the court case against Nakhonchai. As a result, his candidacy was certified.

After the EC endorsed all MPs nationwide, another complaint was filed against Nakhonchai and it included a copy of the court ruling against the Move Forward MP. The ruling showed that Nakhonchai was convicted of theft more than 20 years ago in Chonburi and sentenced to one-and-a-half years in jail. He did not appeal the verdict.

After receiving the copy of the verdict, the EC office forwarded it to the Rayong committee to review and it sent its decision back to the EC office on Wednesday, the source explained.