Bhichit jailed five years by appeals court in land procurement case
The Appeals Court Tuesday sentenced former Bangkok governor Bhichit Rattakul to five years in jail after convicting him in abusing of authority to have the city administration purchase a land plot at an inflated price.
In 2015, the Criminal Court acquitted Bhichit in the land case but the Appeals Court overturned the acquittal.
Bhichit was charged along with seven other then officials of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration for collaborating to purchase a plot of land without public access for Bt270 million during December 4 1995 to September 16 1996. Public prosecutors charged that the land price was inflated by Bt36 million and the eight defendants got Bt18 millions in sale commission.
Appeals Court also commuted the jail term against another defendant, Somkard Seubtrakul who was Bhichit’s secretary, from eight years to five years.
The Appeals Court also commuted the jail term of Chuan Pattanawaranon, former Bang Sue district director, from eight years to seven years.
The Appeals Court upheld the decision of the primary court to acquit the rest of defendants.
