Chuvit gets 5 years in beer bar case

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Chuvit gets 5 years in beer bar case

Published: 11 Sep 2012 at 17.04
Online news: Local News

Chuvit Kamolvisit, the leader of Rak Thailand Party, was sentenced to five years in jail without suspension by the Appeals Court on Tuesday, overriding the lower court's decision acquitting him in the 2003 Sukhumvit Square beer bar demolition case.

In this case, Mr Chuvit and his associates were accused of intruding into and damaging other people's property at night, and also forcefully detaining another person on Jan 26, 2003.

The owners of 135 retail shops in the six-rai Sukhumvit Square beer bar compound on the corner of Sukhumvit Soi 10 which was demolished that night, filed a complaint against Mr Chuvit and his associates. The prosecution filed suit on March 13, 2003. All pleaded not guilty.

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bkksim
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Discussion 14 : 11 Sep 2012 at 22.1214
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Well tis was to be expected! He was painting a bigger target on his back every time he exposed a casino. He was upsetting the wrong people.
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ricefield
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Discussion 13 : 11 Sep 2012 at 21.3313
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Sometimes it just not liked when you shut down brothels or casinos owned by the elite. Chuvit probably has a lot of enemies and with a 5 year conviction he will be stripped of his MP status by the EC, for those that think he's got immunity.
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OldThaiHand
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Discussion 12 : 11 Sep 2012 at 21.2112
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The area was a disgrace and deserved to be knocked down. Perhaps his methods were slightly gangster-ish and harsh. But, nobody was hurt and the action was justified.

In the end, by building the park on the site, he beautified a city sorely in need of green space.

The guy's a hero not a felon.
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aussie
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Discussion 11 : 11 Sep 2012 at 21.0211
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It would seem that Whistle Blowers arn`t to be tolerated by this RED`iculous Government ?
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bkk-farang
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Discussion 10 : 11 Sep 2012 at 20.4310
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I think Chuvit deserves to be punished for the raid on Sukhumvit Square. Lots of people lost their property, business and work because some bulldozers flattened that place over night. Many owners paid regularly their rent and no one suspected anything like that would happen.
I was there the next morning and I could not believe what I saw considering that the place was busy the night before.
But to be fair to Chuvit no one was hurt or died in that night raid. It was a clean and professional operation, as strange as this may sound. Sure he should compensate all people involved. But should he go to jail for that raid? For 5 years? We all know what kind of sentence other people get who burned down a much bigger part of Bangkok – and without consideration if people get hurt or die. But then again, Chuvit is obviously in the wrong party and he even dares to criticize some influential people...
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englishbob
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Discussion 9 : 11 Sep 2012 at 20.099
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This is an interesting case... Chuwit almost certainly is guilty of running off hundreds of people from his land with the help of dozens of men in black (them again) and avoided justice by some machinations.

His conviction now is almost certainly politically motivated by his enemies... but that doesn't mean he is innocent.
In fact, it's the same situation as Thaksin - sure, his conviction was politically motivated... But he was still guilty.
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bkk1
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Discussion 8 : 11 Sep 2012 at 20.068
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Kill 9 people and go home to dad
Pull down a dirty old building and go to jail for 5 years
Only in the land of smiles this can happen

Or may be there is some other reason why

Let's not see how many years the red bull gets or let off and go home
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rico
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Discussion 7 : 11 Sep 2012 at 19.477
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Very good tactic by Chuwit. First building his wealth in illegal businesses and human eploitation ( brothels, massageparlours ), and then making a 180° turn and becoming a white knight crusader in shining armor against moral decline. In the mean while, he has political immunity and a lot of admirers. The old cases are coming back to him but now he can cry "foul", that they want to silence him, to mull him. Yeah right. He reminds me of Assange, who is also wanted by justice for alledged crimes, and trying to make believe people he's harrased. Very good tactics but oh so foreseeable.
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Renaissance
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Discussion 6 : 11 Sep 2012 at 19.116
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It looks like the cases against the Opposition are being speeded up while those against the Red Shirt leaders have disappeared into dusty corners of locked and boarded up store rooms deep in the basements of power. But they will reappear one day when Thaksin is no longer in power.
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nosunat
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Discussion 5 : 11 Sep 2012 at 18.425
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This great man is needed in parliament to liven things up. No jail time please for someone who cleaned up a part of Bangkok.
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