Ex-officials jailed over dredger purchase

[webfact]

Ex-officials jailed over dredger purchase

BANGKOK: -- THE SUPREME Court yesterday handed down a two-year jail term against seven former officials of the Marine Department, including its former director-general, for abuse of authority related to dredger procurement.

Relatives of the defendants broke into tears inside the courtroom upon hearing the final verdict, which ended the years-long saga.

Convicted in the dredger case were Jong-arch Pothisunthorn, former director-general of the Marine Department, the department's former deputy director-general Second Lt Sanchai Kulpreecha, and five other former officials at the department: Second Lt Prawej Rakphan, Ittipon Kanjanakij, Danai Sripitak, Second Lt Wichet Pongthongjarern, and Panya Songjarern.

The crimes took place between 1998 and 2001, during which they had to examine products submitted by the supplier, Ellicott Company Limited, in the Bt2-billion contract to procure three cutter-suction dredgers for the department.

The Supreme Court found that all seven defendants played a role in the examination and amending of the contract in favour of the supplier. Ellicott was unable to deliver the dredgers within the time frame mentioned in the initial contract.

The highest court issued a guilty verdict and sentenced all defendants to two years in jail.

The ruling was far different from the verdict from the lower court, which decided to drop the case in late 2006.

Public prosecutors, however, appealed. In 2011, the Court of Appeals acquitted Ittipon and Danai giving them the benefit of the doubt, but sentenced five other defendants to 10 years in jail.

Following petitions by both plaintiffs and the five convicted defendants, the case went to the highest court.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Ex-officials-jailed-over-dredger-purchase-30272301.html


-- The Nation 2015-11-05

[selftaopath]

It will be extremely helpful to Thailand when more and more individuals feel the consequences of their behavior/decisions. It seems this life lessons is slow to be learned. If this ever becomes the norm in Thailand the results will be dramatic, elevating the quality of life for the average person.

[arthurboy]

Two years and out very soon, no doubt.

Pitiful sentences which smack of some sort of behind the doors agreement.

And no mention of the money stolen or whether it has been traced, no asset seizures etc.

Nah, a deal has been done...

[smutcakes]

Sadly in news like this, instead of welcoming the judgement inpite of the length of time it has taken and th rather paltry sentencing, the very first thing my mind actually thinks is- ARE THEY ACTUALLY IN JAIL.

[Vandadavid]

What a farce

A dirty Thai kills 4 people gets 7000 fine

Dredge go jail

What the government say return happiness

Please is that the answer

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

You gotta love the Thai justice system.

Court 1 -- all 7 not guilty.

Court 2 - two acquitted, 5 sentenced to 10 years.

Court 3 - all 7 apparently sentenced to 2 years (no mention of whether any of the sentences were suspended, as if often the case).

I have no idea if these guys were guilty or not. But the fact that three different courts hearing presumably the same evidence could come to such radically different verdicts in the same case is and should be a pretty troubling sign.

[hondatai]

The good old boys at the military court installing happiness

Or was it a attitude adjustment

[halloween]

The good old boys at the military court installing happiness

Or was it a attitude adjustment

The supreme court is not military. But yes, hopefully government officials being jailed for corruption is a change of attitude. It is certainly different from what happened during the last government.

[FangFerang]

It will be extremely helpful to Thailand when more and more individuals feel the consequences of their behavior/decisions. It seems this life lessons is slow to be learned. If this ever becomes the norm in Thailand the results will be dramatic, elevating the quality of life for the average person.

Who are we kidding, really?

Bush and Blair lied and killed hundreds of thousand of Iraqis and their own people, and never were made to "feel the consequences of their behavior/decisions. It seems this life lessons is slow to be learned"

No wonder the Thais don't care what we think.

[phoenixdoglover]

Unfortunately, the article does not clearly describe the crime. Anyone know the background?

[Prbkk]

It will be extremely helpful to Thailand when more and more individuals feel the consequences of their behavior/decisions. It seems this life lessons is slow to be learned. If this ever becomes the norm in Thailand the results will be dramatic, elevating the quality of life for the average person.

Who are we kidding, really?

Bush and Blair lied and killed hundreds of thousand of Iraqis and their own people, and never were made to "feel the consequences of their behavior/decisions. It seems this life lessons is slow to be learned"

No wonder the Thais don't care what we think.

Certainly not just a Thai 'thing'. In Australia now there is a royal commission looking at corruption in unions. People have paid for,inter alia, house renovations, prostutuets, family vacations, hairderssing, tutoring for kids, jewellry, tatoos, flowers, car repairs...all using union issued credit cards.

[mikemac]

Good to see bent officials finally being punished for their dirty ways, should be more of it.

Makes me laugh when I see so many negative comments regarding these crooks bribing their way out of prison. Lets be honest with ourselves, we would do exactly the same thing if we were in the same situation.

[Gonsalviz]

It will be extremely helpful to Thailand when more and more individuals feel the consequences of their behavior/decisions. It seems this life lessons is slow to be learned. If this ever becomes the norm in Thailand the results will be dramatic, elevating the quality of life for the average person.

Who are we kidding, really?

Bush and Blair lied and killed hundreds of thousand of Iraqis and their own people, and never were made to "feel the consequences of their behavior/decisions. It seems this life lessons is slow to be learned"

No wonder the Thais don't care what we think.

Yes and look at Hillary's whoppers.