(CTN News) – Anurak Tangpanitanon, a former Pheu Thai MP from Mukdahan province, has lost his appeal to overturn a six-year prison sentence for soliciting a 5-million-baht bribe while in office.
On Tuesday, a Supreme Court appeals panel upheld the initial Criminal Division decision for Persons Holding Political Positions.
Anurak Tangpanitanon Corruption Verdict
Anurak Tangpanitanon was charged with seeking a bribe from Sakda Wichiansilp, director-general of the Department of Groundwater Resources, in exchange for not reducing the department’s budget allocation while serving on the House committee reviewing the 2021 budget bill.
On April 25, the court found Anurak Tangpanitanon guilty of breaking the Criminal Code and the anti-corruption law. In addition to a six-year prison sentence, Anurak lost his MP designation. The court also barred him from running in elections or holding political offices for the rest of his life and from voting for ten years.
According to a source, the appeal panel concluded by a majority vote that the National Anti-Corruption Commission’s (NACC) investigation was correctly handled.
The incident surfaced when Mr Sakda openly complained to the subcommittee evaluating his department’s budget, claiming that a member had requested 5 million baht in exchange for not cutting it.
The NACC discovered evidence supporting the bribe claim and filed the case with the Office of the Attorney-General. The appeal panel determined that the investigative report, which included evidence from 17 witnesses and 10 documents, was sufficient to establish the facts and identify the defendant’s guilt.
Anurak Tangpanitanon was sent to Bangkok Remand Prison after the verdict was issued on Tuesday.
Source: Bangkok Post
