A former Appeal Court judge has been sentenced to five years in jail for asking for 20 million baht in bribes from a Taiwanese offender in 2018.
The ruling was read at the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases on Friday in response to a lawsuit filed by the National Anti-Corruption Commission against the defendant for breaching the Organic Act on Anti-corruption and NACC regulations on bribery.
The NACC said the Taiwanese offender was arrested and remanded at Samut Prakan Provincial Court from November to December 2018.
The defendant, who was an Appeal Court judge in Region 8, claimed that he was acquainted with the Samut Prakan court judge and asked him for the temporary release of the Taiwanese offender with "tea money" totalling 20 million baht.
The court considered the evidence gathered from witnesses and also found grounds for the allegation against the defendant that the Taiwanese offender had bribed the Appeal Court judge four times in 2018.
Both sides came to an agreed location at the Sinthavee Hotel in Phuket, and the judge received 1 million baht on Nov 7.
Later, the defendant contacted the Taiwanese individual telling him to send 3 million baht, 7 million baht and 9 million baht on Nov 11, 30 and Dec 12, respectively.
The NACC has crucial evidence showing the defendant receiving money from the Taiwanese individual at the Embassy Hotel in Bangkok, as well as the defendant's travel log from Phuket to Don Mueang via AirAsia and hotel reservation receipts.
The NACC also has evidence, including clip videos and voice recordings, and a contract agreement dated Dec 12.
The court deliberated that the defendant was found to have breached Sections 128, 129, 169 and 175 of the Organic Act on Anti-Corruption, as well as Section 143 of the Criminal Code.
However, the court viewed the act of the defendant as a sole action that violated Section 175 of the Organic Act on Anti-Corruption, which carries a hefty penalty based on Section 90 of the Criminal Code.
The court then handed down a five-year term to the defendant and confiscated his assets amounting to 20 million baht, which are now state assets.
It dismissed a malpractice charge as the Taiwanese realised the defendant had falsely claimed he had the power to influence the Samut Prakan judge.