An inquiry into a Member of Parliament (MP) who is accused of illicit gambling at his office within the parliament building is about to begin.
Parliament President Chuan Leekpai has stated that the MP in issue would be investigated to see if he broke the House’s code of ethics.
Srisuwan Janya, Secretary-General of the Society for the Preservation of the Constitution, submitted the complaint, stating that the MP had been playing card games for money with three other MPs on January 11th.
The petition further stated that the card game was captured using a spycam, and that the video clip displays a clear image of the accused MP, but not of the other three MPs.
According to Srisuwan, the video footage was sent to him anonymously. He also revealed that gambling had taken place at the former parliament building, but there was insufficient proof to prosecute any accused wrongdoers.
Gambling is illegal in Thailand, and it is also a criminal crime under the MP ethics code and the Gambling Act.
Chuan, who leads the House committee on MPs’ ethical behavior, stated that if the charge is proven genuine, he will decide on the appropriate penalty.
