Bangkok:Mr. Srisuwan Janya, leader of the Patriotic Organization, has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission to probe the donations made by MP Ideer Suchada to the Bhumjaithai Party. The complaint questions if these donations breach the Political Parties Act and could potentially result in the dissolution of the party.
According to Thai News Agency, the complaint filed by Mr. Srisuwan pertains to whether Ms. Suchada's donations are in violation of specific sections of the Political Parties Act 2017. He has requested that if these sections are breached, the Constitutional Court should be involved to dissolve the party as per legal provisions.
The case originates from Mr. Sirichok Sopha, a former MP of the Democrat Party, who urged an investigation into Ms. Suchada's financial contributions to the Bhumjaithai Party. The donations, totaling 150,000 baht, were made over several dates in 2022 and 2023, before Ms. Suchada became an MP. Questions were also raised about the source of her and her husband's assets, which reportedly amount to nearly 2 billion baht.
Mr. Srisuwan highlighted that the donation records show a pattern of increasing contributions, starting at 10,000 baht monthly and escalating to 30,000 baht after Ms. Suchada entered parliament. The report also includes significant assets such as a condominium in the Sindhorn Lumpini project and a Mercedes-Maybach.
Concerns have been raised due to Ms. Suchada's declared annual income of 1.7 million baht, while her husband, an Australian citizen with no declared income, possesses substantial assets. The National Anti-Corruption Commission is currently investigating the origins of these assets in line with legal requirements for asset declaration.
Mr. Srisuwan pointed out that the Political Parties Act 2017 prohibits political parties from accepting donations if there are suspicions of illegal origins. Donations from non-Thai nationals or foreign entities are also forbidden. If the acceptance of funds is found unlawful, the Election Commission could be compelled to recommend the dissolution of the party to the Constitutional Court.
The Patriotic Organization insists on the necessity for the Election Commission to expedite the investigation to address public concerns effectively.