Rome Accuses Supachai of Shielding Allies from Probe

Rome counters 'Supachai' over NACC ethics complaint, pointing out the conflict is not a legal issue but because he investigated 'blue people.' He cites walkout and retaliation, hoping to overturn the opposition's inspection system.

On October 22, 2026, at Parliament, Rangsiman Rome, party-list MP for the People's Party and Chairman of the House Committee on Law, Justice and Human Rights, addressed Supachai Jaisamut, party-list MP for the Bhumjaithai Party, who is preparing to file a complaint with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) for an ethics investigation. Rome said he does not yet know the details, but according to procedure, being complained against does not mean the accused is guilty; one must see how the process proceeds. He affirmed that everything they have done is not illegal, because there have been multiple meetings about the 40 million baht bribe already. If they were going to disagree, they should have disagreed long ago, but now they disagree because this links to Mrs. Suchada Sangthanthip, Chaiyaphum MP for Bhumjaithai, regarding a gambling website. If so, society will understand that everything Supachai does attempts to protect those involved in wrongdoing from inspection, which Rome believes should not be Supachai's intention. What Supachai should do is stay calm; we inspect based on witnesses and evidence.

Rome stated that as an opposition MP and committee chairman, he has no authority to command state agencies; everything must follow the evidence — wrong is wrong. Supachai need not worry or fear.

Rome added that if Supachai disagrees or has other proposals, there are regulations — such as Supachai's latest proposal which had only four endorsers, so it couldn't even form a quorum. The part where Rome let Sirichok Sopha, former Democrat MP for Songkhla, speak in that meeting was the chairman's authority; Supachai is not chairman, and his disagreement is just his opinion.

But Supachai walking out and demanding other friends walk out too — let the public decide if that is appropriate. Rome confirmed that since the meeting of 35 committee chairmen on October 21, the ethics complaint against him and today's walkout are directly not a legal problem, but a problem because as committee chairman he passed a resolution to use his power to summon Anutin Charnvirakul, Deputy PM and Interior Minister, and Narucha Khositharatsiri, Director-General of the Department of Provincial Administration, in his former capacity as DG of the Department of Local Administration Promotion, linked to the local exam cheating scandal. And he passed a resolution to summon Chaiyachanok Chidchob, Minister of Digital Economy and Society (DE), Worasit Liangprasit, Deputy Interior Minister, and Thongchua Chatkajorn, former PM advisor, who today is Mrs. Suchada.

"Simply put, the problem is not the law, but because I inspected the blue camp. Today they try to retaliate and make everything a problem. There are attempts to pressure civil servants, pressure the secretariat to stand behind civil servants and use legally incorrect opinions under regulations to coerce us. What we see now is an attempt to destroy the Parliament's opposition inspection system — one of the few powers we have — an attempt to swallow up parliamentary power so we cannot inspect each other. Today the problem is only this: because I inspected other matters, you never had a problem. But if I inspect your blue people, no matter how they link to illegal acts, you have a problem. This means you are protecting wrongdoers." Rome said.

When asked how he views Supachai's interpretation that summoning anyone requires a committee resolution, not the chairman's authority...