3 former senior pollution control officials jailed 20 years in Klong Dan graft scandal



BANGKOK: -- Three former senior officials of the Pollution Control Department responsible for the notorious Klong Dan waste water treatment project in Samut Prakan were on Thursday sentenced to 20 years imprisonment by the Criminal Court.

The court found the trio namely Mr Pakit Kiravanich, former director-general of Pollution Control Department; Mr Siritun Pairoteboriboon, former deputy director-general of the same department; and Mrs Yuwaree Inna, the project manager guilty of malfeasance for helping four companies to secure the contract for building the water treatment facility by covering up facts about the project, distorting facts and abetting in the illegal issuance of land title deeds of land used in the project.

The three convicts were however freed on bail of two million baht each. They plan to appeal the verdict to the Appeals Court.

Earlier, former deputy interior minister Vatana Asavahame was found guilty by the Supreme Court’s criminal division for political office holders of malfeasance in connection with the Klong Dan project and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. However, he ran away before the court delivered the verdict and is now believed to be taking refuge in Cambodia.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/3-former-senior-pollution-control-officials-jailed-20-years-in-klong-dan-graft-scandal


-- Thai PBS 2015-12-18

"The three convicts were however freed on bail of two million baht each. They plan to appeal the verdict to the Appeals Court"

I knew it. I guessed before opening the article they wouldn't actually be in prison.

I'd like to know how much this bunch made from their wrong-doing. I guess they'd never passed sufficient up the food chain and thus get caught, but still time to do a runner, after all it was a huge project so there must be many millions of Baht involved.

Why not transfer to inactive post like everybody else?

They will be on their way to Cambodia,to be with the main

perpetrator of this scandal, who now calls it home.

regards Worgeordie

With the easy compliance of the Immigration service. It so welcoming for criminals, wanting to leave the country! And never a word spoken about them I wonder why?

"The three convicts were however freed on bail of two million baht each."

When the 6 million baht "disappear" so will the charges.

If they were sentenced to 20 years of Jail WHY,WHY are they not in jail? This is the most stupid law system in the world, Sentence a Criminal,,,He goes out on 2Mill bail and he will vanish off the face of the earth,,Or at least out off LOS .

They will be on their way to Cambodia,to be with the main

perpetrator of this scandal, who now calls it home.

regards Worgeordie

I expect like many of these people they actually flit in and out of Thailand for special occasions. I know a certain Red Bull person was in Thailand recently, but not in Bangkok where he might be spotted. There are even photos of him on facebook which is a little careless should they be circulated.

If they were sentenced to 20 years of Jail WHY,WHY are they not in jail?

Because it's Thailand.

5 police officers were convicted of murder and sentenced to death.

They had tortured a 17 yr old to death in Kalasin in 2003 - crushed his testicles, hung him from a tree.

They were all convicted and sentenced to death.

Then released on bail.

A police fund then gave them 100,000 baht for their tough times.

I bet that the appeal is still in its infancy now a few years later.

Hopefully times will change and the people who are above prison for their crimes will actually start to see the inside of prison cells. But I don't my children will see it in their lifetime.

"The three convicts were however freed on bail of two million baht each. They plan to appeal the verdict to the Appeals Court"

I knew it. I guessed before opening the article they wouldn't actually be in prison.

They will be acquitted by the Appeals Court, based on no particular good reason. Then it will go to the Supreme Court who will re-convict them, maybe uphold or maybe modify the sentence.

This process should only take 15 or so years.

The Judge:

"You are sentence to 20 years imprisonment by the Criminal Court".

The three convicts:

"So what?"

"The three convicts were however freed on bail of two million baht each. They plan to appeal the verdict to the Appeals Court"

I knew it. I guessed before opening the article they wouldn't actually be in prison.

This will give them enough time to gather enough money to pay off the judges and others involved.to either receive a suspended sentence or a small fine.

If they were sentenced to 20 years of Jail WHY,WHY are they not in jail? This is the most stupid law system in the world, Sentence a Criminal,,,He goes out on 2Mill bail and he will vanish off the face of the earth,,Or at least out off LOS .

Actually they dont go anywhere, including the ring leader Watana Asavahame who is reported to have run away to Cambodia. The Khlong Dan scam was in the high billions. He may be enjoying a nice life inside his gated guarded estate. His sons are his political heirs, Samut Prakarn is their family fiefdom. Remember Somchai Khunpluem who 'fled' to Cambodia but was caught after many years in his chauffered mercedes on the bangkok motorway, probably by rival police who were not paid off. His sons were powerful ministers, mayor of pattaya. Where is he now, supposedly in a hospital room, but most likely in his mansion in Bang Saen.

OK Mr Prime Minister, cards on the table.

You say you want to protect the natural beauty and the environment of Thailand. I believe you are sincere. This scandal is a crime against the environment and the great beauty of Thailand. If you do not act with all the judicial might you have attained against this multi-billion baht crime, then Sir you will prove all your critics right.

I hope with all my heart you show your true love for this wonderful country.

At some point in time, somewhere off in the distant future, Thailand will figure out what the definition of a deterrent means, and reform the judicial system, so that one will finally exist. This trial should have been conducted without the right for an appeal. All corruption trials should be conducted in that manner, if you want to start making a statement, and getting results. Of course that is not the intention, and therefore nothing changes. Will these creeps get off eventually? Why were they let out on such low bail? It is almost as if the powers that be are tempting them to flee. Or giving them many more years to continue plying their trade. And there was no mention of a fine, or a forfeiture of the illicit funds. Do they get to keep the hundreds of millions of baht that they stole? Is that the way the broken system works? Is that what we call progress and national reconciliation?

Here we go again! A token conviction by a lower court, then it on bail, and an appeal that will take years to reach a verdict.

I don't think Dr. Pakit and his sidekicks will be too worried at this stage. If things do turn to shit, they can always visit Vatana.

Here we go again! A token conviction by a lower court, then it on bail, and an appeal that will take years to reach a verdict.

I don't think Dr. Pakit and his sidekicks will be too worried at this stage. If things do turn to shit, they can always visit Vatana.

The world is watching My Prime Minister, General, Sir.

Do you have the balls, the guts, the integrity, "bottom line" are you honest enough to sort this crime against the country you say you love. This for you Sir is the crossing of the Rubicon, either sort it out or go down in history as a charlatan. Up 2 U SIR.

Here we go again! A token conviction by a lower court, then it on bail, and an appeal that will take years to reach a verdict.

I don't think Dr. Pakit and his sidekicks will be too worried at this stage. If things do turn to shit, they can always visit Vatana.

The world is watching My Prime Minister, General, Sir.

Do you have the balls, the guts, the integrity, "bottom line" are you honest enough to sort this crime against the country you say you love. This for you Sir is the crossing of the Rubicon, either sort it out or go down in history as a charlatan. Up 2 U SIR.

Why do you want a politician to interfere with the judicial process? So that you can claim the conviction was "political" or "persecution"?

Here we go again! A token conviction by a lower court, then it on bail, and an appeal that will take years to reach a verdict.

I don't think Dr. Pakit and his sidekicks will be too worried at this stage. If things do turn to shit, they can always visit Vatana.

The world is watching My Prime Minister, General, Sir.

Do you have the balls, the guts, the integrity, "bottom line" are you honest enough to sort this crime against the country you say you love. This for you Sir is the crossing of the Rubicon, either sort it out or go down in history as a charlatan. Up 2 U SIR.

Why do you want a politician to interfere with the judicial process? So that you can claim the conviction was "political" or "persecution"?

But the current Prime Minister is not a politician, he is an army General with Article 44. So he doesn't need to follow the usual niceties, he can just go and sort it out, when and if he so desires.