Senator Nantana Nantavaropas on Wednesday filed a complaint with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) accusing the chairman and 17 other members of the senate ethics committee of malfeance and serious ethical violations.
The panel chairman is Senate Deputy Speaker Gen Kriangkrai Srirak. The charges were laid under Section 157 of the Criminal Code.
Speaking at parliament, Ms Nantana, accompanied by lawyer Ananchai Chaiyadet, alleged the ethics panel violated senate regulations governing ethical standards and complaint procedures. She alleged their action was intended to unfairly punish her.
The controversy stems from an ethics complaint accusing Sen Nantana of insulting and belittling a pork seller, who happened to be a fellow senator, during a public discussion.
The ethics committee concluded on Oct 28 that her remarks violated ethical standards outlined in the constitution. Subsequently, 130 senators found her guilty of a serious ethical breach, forwarding the case to the NACC for further action.
Ms Nantana, a media academic-turned-senator, argued that the investigation was flawed and biased, noting that 15 of the 22 committee members had previously been implicated in a vote-rigging scandal involving the selection of senators – a case in which she was the complainant.
She said this conflict of interest rendered the committee unfit to judge her case, and her formal objection to the committee’s composition was ignored.
She also claimed she was denied the opportunity to testify, as the committee scheduled her hearing on July 29, the same day she was due to submit a constitutional amendment motion to parliament. She asked for a postponement, but her request was rejected.
Moreover, the senator alleged, the investigation exceeded the 150-day timeframe specified under senate ethics regulations.
The complaint was initially filed on Oct 7 last year. The Senate vote occurred 316 days later, rendering the process invalid, she said.
She had therefore decided to file a formal petition asking the NACC to investigate all 18 members of the senates ethics committee for alleged abuse of authority.
Lawyer Ananchai said he had formed a legal team to assist Ms Nantana without charging any fees. Their support came purely from goodwill.
They felt the senator was unfairly treated. Fifteen of the senators who handled the matter had a vested interest, he claimed.
Mr Ananchai said the senate committee’s actions were unlawful and pledged to pursue criminal charges if the NACC failed to act promptly.
‘I have filed a petition with the NACC requesting an investigation into Gen Kriengkrai, the ethics committee and the 17 others for alleged serious ethical violations,’ he said.
Gen Kriangkrai has previously denied allegations the ethics probe against Ms Nantana was politically motivated or intended to target her, following criticism that the inquiry into her remarks belittling a fellow senator was unfair.
On Monday, Sen Nantana submitted a formal petition to House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha calling for an inquiry into the senate’s “governance failure” and “misuse of authority”.
She said the case reflected a broader crisis of integrity within the legislative branch.
She urged the House speaker to establish a committee to investigate “abuse of power” in the Senate. The ruling against her was politically motivated and aimed at silencing dissent, she said.