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It comes less than a month after a court ordered the dissolution
of Move Forward over its election campaign pledge to amend the
lese majesete law. After being disbanded, the group reorganized
as the People's Party and remains the largest party in
parliament.
The royal insult law shields the crown from criticism and
carries a jail sentence of up to 15 years. Opponents of the law
say it has been used to stifle opposition.
"We have started calling relevant individuals to hear the
facts," National Anti-Corruption Commission deputy
secretary-general Sarote Phuengrampan told Reuters, adding an
investigative panel had been established.
"We are not calling all 44, only some of them," he said.
"This step is to collect evidence, but no one has been charged
yet."
Under the commission's procedures, if the panel finds sufficient
evidence of unethical behavior, it would then charge people, who
can present a defense before a decision is taken on whether to
prosecute them in court.
Move Forward were the surprise winners of last year's elections,
supported by urban and youth voters who favored its
anti-establishment policies including military reform and
undoing business monopolies. However, it was blocked from
forming a government by lawmakers allied with the royalist
military.
A court previously handed a lifetime ban from politics to a Move
Forward politician over social media posts that were deemed
disrespectful to the monarchy.
(Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat, writing by Chayut
Setboonsarng, Editing by John Mair)
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