The Appeals Court on Wednesday sentenced a United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship member to one year and four months in jail, suspended for two years, for illegal use of a communications radio in 2009.
The case was filed with the Criminal Court by prosecutors on Jan 26, 2012 against UDD members for illegally having in their possession and operating an FM radio transmitter with the frequency of 107.5 megahertz at MP Tower Building in Din Daeng area between Jan 9 and April 13, 2009.
Their transmissions interfered with the signal broadcast by the Marine Department radio station in violation of Sections 6, 11 and 23 of the Communication Radio Act of 1955.
During the trial, Chinawat Haboonphat, the first defendant, jumped bail. The court issued an arrest warrant for him and fined the bail guarantor, and postponed legal proceedings against Mr Chinawat pending his return for trial.
The Criminal Court on Sept 23, 2015 found Teerawat Boonpha, the second defendant, guilty as charged and sentenced him to three years in jail. The jail sentence was commuted to two years because he gave useful information during the trial.
Mr Teerawat appealed.
The Appeals Court on Wednesday revised the jail term to two years and fined him 60,000 baht. The jail sentence was then reduced to one year and four months, suspended for two years, and the fine lowered to 40,000 baht because he gave useful information.
Mr Teerawat left the court after paying the 40,000 baht fine.