Former Central Investigation Bureau chief Pongpat Chayapan and two other people on Thursday were sentenced to a year and a half in jail, commuted by half after confessing to charges of violation of the Forestry Act.
The Criminal Court found Pol Lt Gen Pongpat, 59, and Sawong Mungthieng, 54, and her husband Rerngsak Saknarongdej, 57, guilty of possessing 68 planks of processed endangered wood species without permission between November and December last year.
The three defendants, who appeared before the court without lawyers after declining the services of counsel, confessed to the crime after hearing the ruling and said they did not want to appeal.
It was the second case of four brought against Pol Lt Gen Pongpat in which the court has ruled. On Jan 30, the ex-CIB chef and five other policemen were handed six-year prison terms on charges of lese majeste and involvement in illegal casinos.
The remaining two cases involve demanding and accepting bribes from oil smugglers; and soliciting bribes from CIB officers in exchange for promotion and transfers.
The court has set Feb 23 for the hearing of plaintiff witnesses in the two cases.