Pongpat gets another 10 years

Pongpat gets another 10 years

Pol Lt Gen Pongpat Chayapan is escorted to court on Jan 30, when he was sentenced to 12 years in jail, commuted by half, on charges of lese majeste and involvement in illegal casinos. He got another 10 years on Feb 17 for the money laundering charge. (File photo by Apichart Jinakul)
Pol Lt Gen Pongpat Chayapan is escorted to court on Jan 30, when he was sentenced to 12 years in jail, commuted by half, on charges of lese majeste and involvement in illegal casinos. He got another 10 years on Feb 17 for the money laundering charge. (File photo by Apichart Jinakul)

The Criminal Court on Tuesday sentenced former Central Investigation Bureau chief Pongpat Chayapan to another 10 years and six other defendants to different prison terms for breaches of the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2009.

Pol Lt Gen Pongpat and the other six defendants, all members of his former criminal network, were taken to the court from the Bangkok Remand Prison, where they were still being detained on a slew of charges including  lese majeste, possession of illegal timber, money laundering, demanding bribes and committing malfeasance.

They were charged with money laundering after investigators examined the assets of all members of Pol Lt Gen Pongpat's criminal gang and recovered more than 2,000 items believed to have been acquired through money-laundering.  The assets seized included gold ornaments, gold bars, luxury cars, land titles and artefacts.

On the money-laundering case, the Criminal Court on Tuesday sentenced Pol Lt Gen Pongpat, the first  defendant, to 20 years in jail.  The jail term was commuted to 10 years due to his confession.

Pol Maj Gen Kowit Wongrungroj, a former deputy CIB chief, the second defendant, was given a 10-year jail term, commuted to five years.

Pol Maj Gen Boonsueb Praithuan, a former chief of the Marine Police Division, the third defendant, was sentenced to three years in jail, subsequently reduced to one year and six months.

The remaining four defendants, Chob Chinaprapa, Piyapan Chinaprapa, Roengsak Saknarongdej and Sawong Mungthiang, were each sentenced to 10 years in jail, commuted to five years.

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