Kamnan Sia 'not fit enough' to hear Appeal Court verdict
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THE Court of Appeals has postponed the reading of its verdict in the high-profile encroachment case against influential former Democrat MP Pracha Pothipipit after being told the 72-year-old is recovering from surgery following a car accident.
Pracha’s lawyer appeared in court on his behalf yesterday to produce a medical certificate and tell the judges the former politician needs time to recuperate.
The court postponed the verdict reading until November 10. However, it made it clear that if Pracha failed to show up on that date an arrest warrant would be issued against him.
Pracha, known as “Kamnan Sia”, encroached on almost 1,200 rai (192 hectares) of state land in Kanchanaburi’s Dan Makham Tia district (299 rai) and Ratchaburi’s Suan Phung district (900 rai) between 1990 and 2004.
On August 29 last year, a lower court sentenced him to one year in prison. He was allowed bail pending the appeal.
Pracha’s lawyer said the former village chief had a road accident on August 1 and suffered broken ribs.
He was discharged from hospital on August 16 but was not well enough to attend court yet, the lawyer said.
In a phone interview Pracha’s wife Khemmaporn Tangjaiyen said: “He can’t go to the court yet. He cannot walk properly yet.”
She said her husband underwent surgery for an injured right leg and injured ribs and had daily physical therapy. “I think he will need five to six months of physical therapy,” she said.
