Akarakit “Benz Racing” Worarojcharoendet has been freed on bail while he appeals the eight-year prison sentence for drug-related money-laundering handed down on Friday by the Criminal Court.
Akarakit, 31, left Klong Prem prison around 8pm Friday after the court approved his bail request, with 1 million baht in cash posted as a surety.
He has been ordered to wear an electronic monitoring device on his ankle and banned from travelling abroad without court permission.
Two of the celebrity racer’s associates — Sansern Rasanont, 26, and Angsuporn Ina, 29 — were sentenced to 24 years on Friday for laundering money and assisting in drug trafficking. They did not apply for bail and remain in prison.
Public prosecutors had accused the trio of supplying 140,000 methamphetamine pills and 19 kilogrammes of crystal meth to addicts and dealers between November 2016 and February 2017, and opening bank accounts to wash money for Natthaphol “Boy” Nakkham, who has already been convicted of drug trafficking.
Prosecutors told the court that Natthaphol transferred about 10 million baht, in about 50 transactions, to Akarakit’s account, from December 2014 to November 2016. Akarakit spent the money on luxury cars and motorcycles. Akarakit denied all charges. His two co-accused, who are husband and wife, admitted to money-laundering only.
The Criminal Court acquitted Akarakit, the husband of actress Napapa “Patt” Tantrakul, of assisting in drug trafficking, giving him the benefit of the doubt. He was found guilty of money laundering.
Sansern and Angsuporn were each sentenced to 20 years in jail for assisting in drug trafficking and another eight years each for laundering 23 million baht. The eight years was commuted to four because they confessed.
The court also fined the couple 400,000 baht each for the drug offence.
The three, together with Natthaphol, were arrested after the apprehension of Lao drug kingpin Xaysana Keopimpha, 42, in early 2017. The court sentenced Xaysana to life imprisonment in March for smuggling 1.2 million speed pills into Thailand.
