High court upholds ruling for five who rigged Thai lottery

[webfact]

High court upholds ruling for five who rigged lottery
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- The Supreme Court yesterday upheld an Appeal Court ruling that sentenced Narong "Klom Bangkluay" Oonpaet to six years in jail for his role in fixing the results of the government lottery on June 1, 2001.

The ruling was announced in a lawsuit filed against Somtrakul Jobkrathok, Kittichat Kulpradit, Narong, Suriyan Doungkaew and Pichai Thep-arak, who were accused of conspiring with 10 others to fix the lottery results by marking the balls so the winning numbers 11-33-11 were drawn.

With Narong and Suriyan failing to show up to hear the verdict yesterday, the court also issued arrest warrants for them.

In 2004, the criminal court sentenced each of the five defendants to six years in jail for committing public fraud and being members of a criminal gang. In 2006, the Appeal Court upheld the sentence for Narong and three others, but cut Pichai's sentence to two years for being a member of a criminal gang.

Lawyer Pisal Wibulsilpa said Pichai had already served a year and four months in jail before being granted bail.

However, he will need to return to jail for eight months to complete his sentence. Pisal said he would also seek a pardon for Pichai.


-- The Nation 2013-10-29

[EyesWideOpen]

Only one lottery was fixed ??? Somehow I doubt that... In the land of cheating and deception, I have always

thought the lottery would be fixed on a regular basis. On a side note before the Thai apologists get on their

high horses, fixing lotteries is not limited to Thailand. There was a famous case in America a few years ago,

where in a state lottery they took certain balls and injected them with white paint so they were heavier.

So in those lottery machines where the balls fly around, they simply made bets based upon the lighter

balls that would fly up to the top and come out.....

[Thai at Heart]

They should have done something less serious like run over a copper whilst drunk and speeding, killing him instantly....

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Yet another convicted criminal let out on bail and failing to show up for his final appeals hearing.

It seems the only purpose for the Supreme and Appeals courts is to let people off of their convictions, as with the recent case of the Santika club "owner's" acquital.... Because anyone against whom they actually end up upholding the charges invariably seems to be already out on bail and having done a runner by the time the final sentence is handed down.

Curious, the article doesn't say who these guys were and how they were in a position to fix the government lottery back then... Did they have government positions at the time?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Here's a prior article with some background on the subject..

It seems to suggest that these guys in the OP were private individuals alleged to be part of an underground lottery racketeers network... while the article back from 2002 talks about two other individuals - senior Government Lottery Office officials -- also being slated for investigation for their potential involvement.

But now 11 years later, neither of those two GLO officials are among those named above in the finally settled criminal case. Perhaps they didn't end up being prosecuted???? Really????

http://www.geocities.ws/chainat_prov/4502/THA-lotteryripoff0201.html

[waza]

Only one lottery was fixed ??? Somehow I doubt that... In the land of cheating and deception, I have always

thought the lottery would be fixed on a regular basis. On a side note before the Thai apologists get on their

high horses, fixing lotteries is not limited to Thailand. There was a famous case in America a few years ago,

where in a state lottery they took certain balls and injected them with white paint so they were heavier.

So in those lottery machines where the balls fly around, they simply made bets based upon the lighter

balls that would fly up to the top and come out.....

Well there is another famous case..........

"The Assets Scrutiny Committee (ASC) has vowed to use its authority to take to the Supreme Court charges against the entire Thaksin Shinawatra cabinet for alleged graft in a state lottery scheme even if public prosecutors disagree with its stance on the indictment, spokesman Sak Korsaengruang said yesterday." http://asiancorrespondent.com/20884/corruption-cases-against-the-thaksin-regime/

[worgeordie]

I remember seeing the draw on TV, the last one to fish the required

marked ball out of the bowl,had a job finding it, picking up several

in the scoop and dropping them again. it was a farce,and even

a blind man could see what was happening.

regards Worgeordie

[Bluespunk]

"The ruling was announced in a lawsuit filed against Somtrakul Jobkrathok, Kittichat Kulpradit, Narong, Suriyan Doungkaew and Pichai Thep-arak, who were accused of conspiring with 10 others to fix the lottery results by marking the balls so the winning numbers 11-33-11 were drawn"

How could 11 appear twice?

[Jim walker]

Should have gotten life in prison for stealing poor peoples money low life scum.

[kiwiinasia]

I don't know whats going on with this one but...

Do you really think someone would go to jail for cheating in Thailand?

[NCFC]

Each year on one of the Bhuddist holidays a very important lady with connections to one of the important Thai institutions comes to visit a fortune teller in our moobaan. She arrives with an entourage of around fifty vehicles and a platoon of policemen. They block our soi and park right outside our gates so that we can't get our car out of the house if we want to go anywhere, and the police say we have to put up with it while these people are here.

They spend around 3-4 hours with the fortune teller getting their readings done and asking him for advice. At the end this lady then gives the fortune teller a couple of lottery numbers. Now most people go to fortune tellers in order to get lottery numbers. In this case it's the other way round and it's the fortune teller who receives the information.

When the entourage has finished and gone back whence they came, the fortune teller comes out and indicates to us neighbours on which numbers to bet. We make a killing each year

[ginjag]

Who is going to really believe that something can be rigged here. They are doing their best here-trying---VERY TRYING.

[CHANGOVER]

NCFC - send a PM of the numbers next time

[Ricardo]

"The ruling was announced in a lawsuit filed against Somtrakul Jobkrathok, Kittichat Kulpradit, Narong, Suriyan Doungkaew and Pichai Thep-arak, who were accused of conspiring with 10 others to fix the lottery results by marking the balls so the winning numbers 11-33-11 were drawn"

How could 11 appear twice?

Don't you believe in Miracles ?

[Khonper]

"The ruling was announced in a lawsuit filed against Somtrakul Jobkrathok, Kittichat Kulpradit, Narong, Suriyan Doungkaew and Pichai Thep-arak, who were accused of conspiring with 10 others to fix the lottery results by marking the balls so the winning numbers 11-33-11 were drawn"

How could 11 appear twice?

1-1-3-3-1-1 is 6 balls

[Bluespunk]

"The ruling was announced in a lawsuit filed against Somtrakul Jobkrathok, Kittichat Kulpradit, Narong, Suriyan Doungkaew and Pichai Thep-arak, who were accused of conspiring with 10 others to fix the lottery results by marking the balls so the winning numbers 11-33-11 were drawn"

How could 11 appear twice?

1-1-3-3-1-1 is 6 balls

So in the Thai lottery there is more than one of each number? Erm? Why?

[gp2002]

"The ruling was announced in a lawsuit filed against Somtrakul Jobkrathok, Kittichat Kulpradit, Narong, Suriyan Doungkaew and Pichai Thep-arak, who were accused of conspiring with 10 others to fix the lottery results by marking the balls so the winning numbers 11-33-11 were drawn"

How could 11 appear twice?

1-1-3-3-1-1 is 6 balls

So in the Thai lottery there is more than one of each number? Erm? Why?

I'm surprised that you even have to ask..........This is Thailand