Future Forward Party indictment postponed

Wichian Thanompichai (left), executive director for criminal litigation, and Prayut Phetkhun, spokesman of the Office of the Attorney-General, speaks to journalists at the office in Bangkok on Tuesday. (Photo by Pornprom Satrabhaya)

Attorney-General Kemchai Chutiwong has postponed to April 26 the indictment decision in the case in which the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) accused three key members of the Future Forward Party of computer crime for their live Facebook criticism against it.

Wichian Thanompichai, executive director for criminal litigation at the Office of the Attorney-General, said on Tuesday that the attorney-general put off the announcement of the indictment decision to 9am on April 26 because prosecutors had yet to question witnesses and seek some documents from the Technology Crime Suppression Division. Besides, the accused would call in more witnesses.

Prayut Phetkhun, spokesman of the Office of the Attorney-General, said prosecutors needed in-depth information and he wasn't sure if the indictment decision could be announced on April 26.

Krisdang Nootjaras, lawyer of Future Forward Party (FFP) leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, said this week he would introduce more witnesses, including a journalist and an academic.

The lawyer said he was not concerned about the case, saying the three accused people had made honest criticisms and the content was not illegal.

Mr Thanathorn, FFP registrar Klaikong Waithayakan and party executive member Jaruwan Saranket, were accused of putting false information into a computer system.

They faced a legal complaint filed by the NCPO in connection with remarks they made live via two Facebook pages -- "The Future We Want" and "Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit" -- on June 26 last year.

They claimed the NCPO was poaching former MPs. At the time, politicians with a strong chance of election were reportedly planning to eventually defect to the pro-regime Palang Pracharath Party.

Later, Col Burin Thongprapai, representing the NCPO, filed a complaint with police against Mr Thanathorn and the two FFP executive members, insisting the remarks were untrue, although many former MPs later defected to the Palang Pracharat Party.