A Move Forward party MP has denied a suggestion that he was a part of a gang which tried to extort 1.5 million baht from the director-general of the Rice Department.

Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut said in his Facebook post today that his name was mentioned in the Line chat between Yotwarit Chomklin, one of the three suspects charged with extortion, and a member of staff at the secretariat of the House committee following up on budget management, headed by Natthaphong.

Yotwarit, serial petitioner Srisuwan Janya and a former election candidate of United Thai Nation party, Phimnattha, were charged with trying to extort 1.5 million baht from Natthakit Khongthip, the director-general of the Rice Department, in exchange for dropping their planned exposure of alleged corruption in the department.

Natthaphong said that Srisuwan and Yotwarit lodged a complaint with his panel on December 2nd last year, seeking a check on the spending of the Department of Royal Rain-making and Agricultural Aviation, which has nothing to do with the Rice Department.

His said his name was mentioned as a person who could mediate in the alleged irregularity.

Natthaphong added, however, that the complaint has not been considered by his House panel yet, because he became suspicious as to why Yotwarit, a member of the United Thai Nation party, specifically wanted him or other Move Forward MPs to accept the complaint and why not the United Thai Nation MP in the panel.

Natthaphong said he is ready to cooperate with the authorities in their investigation of the extortion case.