Prison time mounting for Pongpat as court adds another 15 years
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FORMER CENTRAL Investigation Bureau (CIB) chief Pol Lt-General Pongpat Chayaphan will serve almost 32 years behind bars, after the Criminal Court yesterday found him guilty in two more bribe-taking cases that landed him 15 more years in prison.
The 59-year-old Pongpat had already been given 16 years and nine months behind bars for three previous crimes relating to a gambling den, Burmese rosewood plank possession and money laundering.
He and five other disgraced police officers were brought to Bangkok’s Ratchadapisek Criminal Court yesterday to hear the ruling on the two bribe-taking cases.
In the first case, Pongpat, former CIB deputy commissioner Maj-General Kowit Wongrungroj, 59, and former marine police commander Maj-General Boonsueb Praituen, 55, were found guilty of taking Bt147.4 million in bribes from oil smugglers in the South from February 2012 to July 2014.
Pongpat and Kowit had their initial 10-year sentence reduced by half due to their useful confessions while Boonsueb – who also faced a lese majeste charge in this case – was given a 15-year jail term that was also halved.
In the second case, Pongpat, Kowit,
Colonel Wuthichart Luensukhon, 46, Sergeant Surasak Chan-ngao, 50, and Sergeant Chakrin Laothong, 48, were accused of conspiring to demand between Bt3 million and Bt5 million from several police officers in exchange for getting them promoted to key positions in the CIB.
They were also reportedly required to pay monthly instalments of between Bt10,000 and Bt2 million to stay in the positions, with the bribes taking place from October 1, 2010 to November 11, 2014.
Pongpat and Kowit were given a 20-year sentence while the three subordinates got 12 years each.
The sentences were halved due to their useful confessions and their previous police merits.
