The Department of Corrections (DoC) has confirmed the release of Apichart Jansakulporn, better known as Sia Piang, a businessman sentenced to 48 years in prison for his involvement in the rice-pledging scandal.
Apichart was released on Oct 9 after serving seven years.
DoC director-general Sahakarn Phetnarin confirmed yesterday to a TV news channel that Apichart was granted a special release due to severe illness. He is currently undergoing treatment at Ramathibodi Hospital and is not required to wear an electronic monitoring (EM) bracelet.
Apichart, convicted in 2015 for corruption related to government-to-government rice sale deals, was initially sentenced to 48 years in prison. However, multiple royal pardons reduced his sentence to 12 years, 8 months, and 12 days. His sentence is now set to officially end on July 27, 2034.
Former Democrat Party MP Watchara Phetthong, who brought attention to Apichart's early release, has raised concerns about the transparency of the decision.
He has filed a petition with Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, urging an investigation into the DoC's handling of the case. Mr Watchara has requested that Ms Paetongtarn report the investigation's findings to the public within 15 days and demanded that any government officials involved in facilitating Apichart's release must be held accountable.
Mr Watchara also criticised the DoC's lack of public disclosure, arguing that the case remains of national interest due to its significant financial impact on the state. He further questioned whether all of Apichart's legal and financial obligations, including the 16.9-billion-baht compensation with accrued interest owed collectively by defendants in the case, had been settled before his release.
This development follows the recent releases of other high-profile convicts in the same case. Former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyaphirom, sentenced to 48 years for his role in the rice-pledging scandal, served only seven years before receiving royal pardons. He was granted a suspended sentence and returned to his home in Chiang Mai on Monday. Similarly, his deputy, Poom Sarapol, initially sentenced to 36 years, was released in September after serving seven years.
Observers have linked these releases to broader political implications, speculating that they could be part of efforts to facilitate the return of former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
