Former Revenue Department director-general Satit Rungkasiri has been sentenced to life imprisonment over a value-added tax refund scam.
The Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases ruled on Thursday that Satit and three accomplices were guilty of VAT refund falsification which caused damages worth over 3 billion baht to the Revenue Department.
According to the court, Satit and Supakij or Siripong Riyakarn, a former chief of the district 22 office (Bang Rak), conspired to carry out corruption and conducted malfeasance of duty by concealing falsified VAT refunds for 25 companies which were not eligible for them. This resulted in a loss of 3.09 billion baht to the state from 2012 to 2013.
The court handed down sentences of life imprisonment to the two accused.
The court also gave a jail sentence of six years and eight months to Prasit Anyachote, who received the tax refund money and later shared it with Satit and Supakij.
The court acquitted a fourth defendant, Kittisak Anyachote, who is a son of Prasit.
The first, second and the third defendants were ordered by the court to return 3.09 billion baht to the state.