A female accountant at the Legal Execution Department's provincial office in Pattani has been found guilty of embezzling 2.8 million baht, according to the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG).
She has been sentenced to 50 years in prison and told to return the stolen money to the provincial office, OAG deputy spokesman Kosolwat Inthuchanyong said on Tuesday.
The woman was identified by her first name, Chiranan, and described as a Level 4 finance and accounting officer.
The embezzlement was committed on 18 occasions between March 18, 2004, and April 27, 2006, during which time she falsified the signature of Mahosot Ramrangsarit, the office director, who had the authority to approve her requests to cash cheques and deposit the money into the office's accounts, said Mr Kosolwat.
After cashing the cheques, however, she deposited the money into her own accounts and those of her acquaintances, amounting to 2.8 million baht in total, he said.
The woman, who had consistently pleaded innocent, previously returned 561,078 baht, meaning she still owes 2.24 million baht, he added.
The case was heard by the Region 9 Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases in Songkhla province around the middle of this month, Mr Kosolwat said.