Chuwit, court victory.

Public prosecutors took legal action against Chuwit and his massage business over charges that he procured girls under 18 years of age for commercial sex services.

The prosecution was based on a complaint filed by three girls in December 2002. They were older than 15 years old but less than 18.

The complaint was directed at another man whom the girls said provided them with false identification cards so that they could work in massage parlours.

On his instruction, the girls worked for the Juliana massage parlour for six or seven months, before they moved to work for the Chuwit-owned Honolulu massage parlour. After working at the Honolulu for a few weeks, the girls fled and later complaining that the man forced them to work - even when they had their periods.

The man sent his henchmen after the girls, who then sought help from the Pavena Hongsakul Foundation for Children and Women.

According to the girls, they never received money directly from the massage parlours, which usually offered to pay them Bt1,000 per two hours of service, because the middle man called Somchai would get the money. He claimed the girls owed him money for the fake ID cards he provided them.

The Appeals Court agreed with the lower court's decision to drop charges against Chuwit and his massage parlour.

According to the court, there was no evidence to prove that the defendants knew the girls were carrying false ID cards, which "made them old enough" for such work.

Also, there was no evidence the defendants were involved in sex work, because the girls unanimously said the Honolulu parlour had imposed a ban on sex services.

The court also doubted why the girls had not lodged a complaint against the Juliana but only brought charges against the Honolulu massage parlour.

Chuwit was elected as an MP in February 2005, but later disqualified on technical grounds.

A top court ruled in January last year that he was not a member of the Chat Thai Party for 90 days prior to running in the 2005 general election.