An army officer released on parole last year after serving 14 years in jail for murder was re-arrested on Thursday and sent back to prison for violating terms of his probation.
Police apprehended Chalermchai Matchaklam, 63, a former major, outside his home in Badintorn Raksa housing estate in Bangkok’s Wang Thonglang district in the morning when he was in a car being driven by Boonkla Muan-ae, 33. He is now in Nonthaburi Provincial Prison.
Later on Thursday, Kobkiat Kasiwiwat, the deputy permanent secretary for justice, said the parole committee had revoked Chalermchai’s eligibility for parole because he had committed another offence during his probation period.
Chalermchai was sentenced to death for murdering the governor of Yasothon in 2001. He was later given four royal pardons for good behavour, changing his death sentence to life and then to less than 18 years. The convict, known as Phu Phan Tueng, was released from Bang Kwang Central Prison in Nonthaburi on Sept 30 last year after he had been imprisoned for 14 out of the 17 years and 24 days, or more than two thirds of his jail term, which is the criteria for early release.
Pol Col Narat Sawetanant, director-general of the Probation Department, said Thursday's arrest followed a complaint by a gem trader in Chanthaburi province that alleged Chalermchai and some accomplices extorted and coerced him into retracting a contract containing what they claimed were unfair agreements on gems trading and income sharing.
The businessman also presented a video clip of his meeting with the group. An investigation found there were grounds to the complaint. Chalermchai was also accused of breaching his parole regulations by failing to inform probation officials before leaving his designated area of supervision when he went to Chanthaburi.
Mr Kobkiat said Chalermchai would serve the remaining two years and nine months of his sentence. The interceding 11 months since the date of his release on parole would be revoked and added to his remaining sentence.
The Nonthaburi provincial prison would decide whether to detain him there or transfer him to another prison, Mr Kobkiat said.