KHON KAEN: The Khon Kaen Provincial Court on Thursday sentenced Bhumjaithai Party MP for Khon Kaen Ekarat Changlao to almost 13 years in jail for involvement in 405-million-baht embezzlement at Khon Kaen Teachers Saving Cooperative.
The jail term was already halved due to the convict’s confession.
According to sources, the sentence comprised five years and 30 months in jail for five embezzlement offences and a 63-month imprisonment for 21 offences of document forgery related to the embezzlement.
Ekarat returned 100.5 million baht in total through four transfers from 2022 to 2024.
After he requested temporary release pending his appeal, the court released him on bail of 3 million baht and prohibited him from leaving the country.
Anusat Sonsinpong, chairman of the Khon Kaen Teachers Saving Cooperative, said that the cooperative had started the lawsuit in 2019 and would proceed with a civil lawsuit to demand the full return of the embezzled money.
He also said that the cooperative had already filed a complaint with police, accusing Ekarat and others of stealing 201 million baht from its bank account from September to October 2016. Although the money was returned, the offence was committed, Mr Anusat said.
Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul said on Thursday that the party would ask Ekarat to leave so that he would have his political freedom.
Bhumjaithai spokeswoman Boontida Somchai said Ekarat had not participated in any event with the party since Sept 24 last year and took part in political activities with the Klatham Party for a certain period.
Ekarat Changlao (photo: parliament)