Former School Director Sentenced to 250 Years for Corruption Scandal

[webfact]

 

In a landmark ruling, the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases Region 6 has sentenced Mr. Suthep Sukthong, the former director of Ban Phon Thong School, to 250 years in prison. The sentence comes after evidence revealed ongoing corruption involving the school's lunch funds, allowing the institution to serve substandard meals to students.

 

The investigation began in Phon Thong District, Roi Et Province, where it was discovered that school children were being served meals consisting solely of fried meatballs and mackerel heads.

 

In many cases, the food was reportedly spoiled to the point of being inedible. An audit of the lunch fund unearthed that although 20 baht per student was allotted for meals, only 14 baht per student actually reached the caterers, pointing towards significant embezzlement, reported Daily News.

 

Mr. Suthep Sukthong, along with Mr. Wisut Puangchampee, faced charges under various sections of the Criminal Code and the NACC (Organic Act on Counter Corruption). The charges included wrongdoing under Sections 151, 157, and 162 (4) of the Criminal Code, and Sections 12 (3/1) and 172 of the NACC Acts of 1999 and 2018. 

 

The court found Mr. Suthep guilty and imposed the maximum penalty of five years per count, with a total of 50 counts. This brought the cumulative sentence to 250 years. However, upon Mr. Suthep's confession, the sentence was reduced to 150 years. Mr. Wisut Puangchampee, the other accused in the case, passed away before the conclusion of the trial, resulting in the dismissal of charges against him.

 

The verdict underscores a zero-tolerance stance on corruption within educational institutions, aiming to safeguard the welfare of students. The sentencing serves as a stark warning to public officials on the severe consequences of corruption and the exploitation of public resources.

 

Picture courtesy: Daily News

 

-- 2024-08-13

 

- Cigna offers a variety of health insurance plans designed to meet the minimum requirement for medical treatment coverage, with benefits reaching up to THB 3 million. These plans are tailored to provide comprehensive healthcare solutions for expatriates, ensuring peace of mind and access to quality medical services. To explore the full range of Cigna's expat health insurance options and find a plan that suits your needs, click here for more information.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

[Gottfrid]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The court found Mr. Suthep guilty and imposed the maximum penalty of five years per count, with a total of 50 counts. This brought the cumulative sentence to 250 years. However, upon Mr. Suthep's confession, the sentence was reduced to 150 years. Mr. Wisut Puangchampee, the other accused in the case, passed away before the conclusion of the trial, resulting in the dismissal of charges against him.

Why dismiss the charges against a dead man! If they can sentence a person to 250 years, then they should have no problem whatsoever to make a posthumous trial against him! Let´s give him 150 years as he will have problem to confess at the moment. After that they can, on release day, walk hand in hand through the gates of hell. A designated territory where they both belong.

[brianthainess]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Mr. Wisut Puangchampee, the other accused in the case, passed away before the conclusion of the trial, resulting in the dismissal of charges against him.

They should have still tried him, now his family get to keep his ill gotten gains and keep face......................

[Will B Good]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

However, upon Mr. Suthep's confession, the sentence was reduced to 150 years.

 

 

Oh boy.....can you imagine the sense of relief?

[retarius]

I'm willing to bet that the substandard meals are related to TEMU and China in some way. 250 years what a joke. 

[Will B Good]

5 minutes ago, retarius said:

I'm willing to bet that the substandard meals are related to TEMU and China in some way. 250 years what a joke. 

 

 

Temu.....order online now.....meal for three.

[spidermike007]

Well this is a good start, though it seems like a bit of an overreach. Now, if only they would get on to investigating, arresting, and convicting top active (not former) officials in the army, the administration, the police, customs, and immigration we could then say that Thailand is moving forward, and that the nation resembles an open and progressive democracy. 

[freedomnow]

Reads like an April 1st news article.

Welcome to LoS.

[cheerz]

Stole from the kids for self gain. 250 yrs what's the point,people like him happy to get fed. Should make him serve the kids for 250 years, strip them of all their possessions then make them work serving the kids & community. Some blame should be on his bosses as well 

[Purdey]

Prisons and schools make money by cutting down on the meat provided to prisoners and students and keeping the price difference. Not sure what is the purpose of consecutive sentences. If the court wanted him dead they could just as well have given him a life sentence without parole.

[MarkBR]

9 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Well this is a good start, though it seems like a bit of an overreach. Now, if only they would get on to investigating, arresting, and convicting top active (not former) officials in the army, the administration, the police, customs, and immigration we could then say that Thailand is moving forward, and that the nation resembles an open and progressive democracy. 

How many at the top would be left?

[jvs]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The verdict underscores a zero-tolerance stance on corruption within educational institutions, aiming to safeguard the welfare of students. The sentencing serves as a stark warning to public officials on the severe consequences of corruption and the exploitation of public resources.

Really?I hope they will but we all know they say that to make people feel good.

The reality is still a lot different!

[soalbundy]

2 hours ago, Will B Good said:

 

 

Oh boy.....can you imagine the sense of relief?

He'll be due for retirement when he gets out.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The court found Mr. Suthep guilty and imposed the maximum penalty of five years per count, with a total of 50 counts. This brought the cumulative sentence to 250 years. However, upon Mr. Suthep's confession, the sentence was reduced to 150 years. Mr. Wisut Puangchampee, the other accused in the case, passed away before the conclusion of the trial, resulting in the dismissal of charges against him.

So did the court pass an order to seize assets to repay the lost funds?

[hotchilli]

34 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

 

 

Temu.....order online now.....meal for three.

You get what you pay for, unless you're advertising it as a square meal.

[NowNow]

Greedy b*stards. It's a school, not a prison.

[Paiman]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

zero-tolerance stance on corruption within educational institutions,

They should widen this to include many other aspects e.g. politicians.....etc.

[RichardColeman]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

The court found Mr. Suthep guilty and imposed the maximum penalty of five years per count, with a total of 50 counts. This brought the cumulative sentence to 250 years. However, upon Mr. Suthep's confession, the sentence was reduced to 150 years.

If anyone wants to explain how that reduction will make a difference to him, I am all ears

[Sydebolle]

This article covers it all: 

 

- Common sense - or rather the complete absence of it by the court; let's face it, a jail sentence of two hundred and fifty years, seriously? Graciously reduced to only 150 years - what were these judges and courts thinking in the first place? 

 

- Reality - a budget of 20 Baht per meal per child is not enough to live and too much to die. What do you want to serve for 20 Baht. Nobody expects a five course Oriental meal but being a retired restaurateur I can tell you - mission impossible. The kids were shortchanged with the 20 Baht already. 

 

- Corruption; stealing 6 Baht and leaving 14 Baht - congratulations

As long as schools are semi-divine, teachers are semi-divine and everything attached to a school is semi-divine = that's the outcome. Congratulations; well done! 

[paymaster]

Some people are slow learners. All he has to do is buy a neck brace and a sling and then find a doctor to say his blood oxygen is low. The corrections mob will move him to a suite in the rtpolice hospital. Top food, telephone, visitors confidentiality of his medical state to silence the doubters. With a rethink on charges, pardons and parole he should be home for Christmas. 250 years. Nonsense more like 250 days.

[rct99q]

Only another 6817 schools to go. Perhaps they will have caught everybody by the time his sentence is up.

[john donson]

last years of my kids school was also a government one, no free lunch

 

one down, 9.999.999 to go

[watchcat]

On 8/13/2024 at 1:00 AM, webfact said:

n a landmark ruling, the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases Region 6 has sentenced Mr. Suthep Sukthong, the former director of Ban Phon Thong School, to 250 years in prison.

 

This sounds like a long time, many lifes. ?

 

[Anonymous2]

For real, only he pay someone, he can get rid from the problem. 

[Liverpool Lou]

On 8/13/2024 at 10:20 AM, brianthainess said:

On 8/13/2024 at 8:00 AM, webfact said:

the other accused in the case, passed away before the conclusion of the trial, resulting in the dismissal of charges against him.

They should have still tried him, now his family get to keep his ill gotten gains and keep face......................

Which "ill-gotten gains"?  Charges were dismissed therefore he was never found guilty and deceased people cannot be prosecuted so the case would have been thrown out.

[Liverpool Lou]

On 8/13/2024 at 12:16 PM, retarius said:

I'm willing to bet that the substandard meals are related to TEMU and China in some way. 250 years what a joke. 

He got five years for each offence, reasonable and certainly not a joke.

[Liverpool Lou]

On 8/13/2024 at 12:37 PM, freedomnow said:

Reads like an April 1st news article.

Only to those who cannot comprehend the article.

[Liverpool Lou]

On 8/13/2024 at 12:43 PM, Purdey said:

If the court wanted him dead they could just as well have given him a life sentence without parole.

No, they could not, the charges had a maximum penalty of five years, life without parole was never going to be on the table.

[Liverpool Lou]

On 8/13/2024 at 5:08 PM, Sydebolle said:

- Common sense - or rather the complete absence of it by the court; let's face it, a jail sentence of two hundred and fifty years, seriously?

Common sense is not being displayed by you, either, he got five years for each offence but he had fifty charges.  It works that way in your country also.

[brianthainess]

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Which "ill-gotten gains"?  Charges were dismissed therefore he was never found guilty and deceased people cannot be prosecuted so the case would have been thrown out.

The charges were only dismissed 'coz he was dead, if you read my post, anybody with an oz. of brain could work out that if he had not died, he too would have gone to trial and been found guilty, as I said he should have still be tried in absenteeism. Never mind loopy loo or big nock whatever troll name you use now.