Thailand’s Democrat deputy leader, Prinn Panitchpakdi, announced his full and immediate resignation from the party on Thursday, in order to fight off sexual harassment claims, which he has rejected.
During a press conference yesterday afternoon, he appeared stunned by the charges, but swore on his innocence, which only time will tell. He has claimed that he has no choice but to resign from his role, so he can focus on addressing the allegations…
“I insist I am innocent. I deny all allegations. They are groundless. Although what happened is a personal matter, it affects the Democrats. This is not true. People who know me also know that I am not that kind of person.”
As the allegations impact his responsibilities in the Democrat party, he has decided to resign in order to protect the party’s name and to defend himself in court. He declined to give any further details or explanation, and said he will speak with authorities to proceed with legal actions.
Sittha Biabangkerd, a lawyer, said that an 18-year-old woman who did not reveal her identity had approached him about suspected sexual harassment by the Democract deputy leader, according to a Facebook post. Many other women had contacted him seeking legal advice, claiming that the politician had sexually harassed them for years.
The abuse, which is yet to be proven, allegedly took place in a Bangkok hotel restaurant. The woman’s mother took her to the Lumphini police station to file a complaint.
The lawyer said the politician had approached the family of one of his accusers, but he couldn’t confirm whether or not a report had been filed with the Lumpini police station.
SOURCE: Thai PBS | Bangkok Post