Appeals Court jails former People’s Alliance for Democracy leaders

By The Nation

 

 

BANGKOK: -- The Appeals Court on Monday ruled in favour of the Court of First Stance and jailed six ex-leaders of the now-defunct People’s Alliance for Democracy for invading Government House in 2008 during protests against the then government.

The court, however, reduced the penalty given to them from jail terms of two years to eight months, citing that they did not act in their own interests or any individual’s interests.

 

The six ex-leaders are retired general Chamlong Srimuang, Somsak Kosaisuk, Pipob Thongchai, Suriyasai Katasila, Somkiat Pongpaiboon, and media mogul Sondhi Limthongkul, who is serving a jail term in a separate case involving violation of the stock market. 

 

According to court testimonies, the six ex-leaders led the protests against the Samak government in a bid to put pressure on the then premier to resign. 

 

They invaded Government House and were charged with invading a state properties and causing damage.

 

The first court had sentenced them three years’ jail each before reducing the penalty to two years. 

 

Their lawyers planned to propose bail of no more than Bt100,000 for each of them.

 

Last week, the group, along with three other ex-leaders of the People’s Alliance for Democracy, faced a sedition charge for their scattered protests targeting several government compounds in 2008. 

 

However, the first court dismissed that sedition charge against the six ex-leaders and suspended for two years the determination of penalties for the three other ex-leaders. 

 

The court cited as the reason for dismissing the sedition charge the fact that the six ex-leaders had already been sentenced to two years in jail term.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30321636

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-07-24

that was the same organisation, which also shut down 2 bangkok, phuket and crabi airports. It was smart to sentence them for occupying governments property, and not sedition or airports shut downs. Their close friends, who occupied bangkoku for half year in 2014, are still walking free

 

Edited July 24, 20178 yr by londonthai

"The court cited as the reason for dismissing the sedition charge the fact that the six ex-leaders had already been sentenced to two years in jail term"

 

Of course it is pure coincidence that this decision was made a few days before it is announced that the penalty is reduced from two years to 8 months.

2 hours ago, webfact said:

citing that they did not act in their own interests

wow; law schools here must be pretty interesting places; do they use any logic that remotely resembles western same ?

7 hours ago, YetAnother said:

wow; law schools here must be pretty interesting places; do they use any logic that remotely resembles western same ?

 

No, they just practice juggling, smoke and mirror acts and how to keep a straight face when you want to laugh.

Nice to see the Junta's "reconciliation" efforts working then...