KALASIN: The Court of Appeal Region 4 has overturned the acquittal of Thai People’s Party MP Piyarat 'Toto' Chongthep (pic) and sentenced him to three years in prison without suspension in a Section 112 and Computer Crime Act case linked to criticism of Covid-19 vaccine procurement.
The ruling was read at Kalasin Provincial Court on Wednesday (May 20). Piyarat, a party-list MP and former leader of the We Volunteer, or WeVo, group, was found guilty under Section 112 of the Criminal Code and Section 14(3) of the Computer Crime Act.
The case stemmed from an incident on Jan 23, 2021, when Piyarat was accused of being involved with others in putting up roadside signs in Kalasin province criticising the handling of Covid-19 vaccine procurement. Images of the signs were later posted on Facebook and Twitter, according to case reports.
The Court of First Instance had earlier dismissed the case, finding that the prosecution evidence still left room for doubt. However, the Appeal Court took a different view and imposed a three-year prison term without suspending the sentence.
Following the ruling, Piyarat’s team said it was seeking temporary release so he could continue fighting the case before the Supreme Court.
A later report said the court granted him bail at noon on Wednesday with 300,000 baht in security and a condition barring him from leaving the country without court permission.
The case is among politically sensitive prosecutions linked to public expression during the Covid-19 period, when criticism of vaccine access and procurement became a major political issue.
Piyarat has faced several legal cases arising from political activism and online expression. In March 2026, he was acquitted in a separate lèse-majesté-related case over a 2020 protest speech in Ubon Ratchathani, where the court found the remarks did not constitute the offences charged.
The latest ruling is expected to draw attention from opposition politicians, rights advocates and legal observers because it involves a sitting MP, a reversed acquittal, a non-suspended prison sentence, and charges connected to political expression. - The Nation/ANN
