Singer 'Pookie', husband sentenced to 38 years on drug charges

Singer 'Pookie', husband sentenced to 38 years on drug charges

Singer Prissana
Singer Prissana "Pookie" Praisaeng makes a wai on Wednesday as she enters the Criminal Court to hear judgement on charges of drug dealing and money laundering. (Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)

The Criminal Court on Wednesday sentenced former pop singer Prissana Praisaeng and her husband to prison for 38 years and nine months on charges of drug dealing and money laundering.

Prissana, widely known by her nickname "Pookie", 41, and her husband, Cholavit Keetatraku, 50, were also fined a total of 3.6 million baht.

The court sentenced the pair to life iimprisonment, and then commuted the sentences because they confessed. 

A third defendant, Taiwanese national Hung Cheng Yi, 29, was given 25 years in jail and fined 2.5 million baht.

The three were charged with possessing and selling illicit drugs, and laundering money.

"Pookie", who rose to fame in Thailand with the song Sha-La-La-La-La about 20 years ago, and her husband were arrested on June 17 last year at their house in Bang Khen district.

The couple was accused of working with the Taiwanese defendant to ship the drugs to Taiwan.

Hung Cheng Yi was arrested first at a hotel in Lat Krabang district with 5.17 kilogrammes of ketamine. The Taiwanese man fingered the couple as his suppliers.

Police raided their house and found four grammes of ketamine, 98.3 grammes of crystal meth, eight methamphetamine pills, 10 ecstasy pills and 40gm of marijuana, along with chemicals and equipment believed used to produce drugs in their house.

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