Anti-coup activist Sombat handed suspended sentence
The Court of Appeals yesterday handed leading anti-coup activist Sombat Boonngamanong a one-year suspended jail sentence and fined him Bt3,000 for failing to report to the National Council for Peace and Order.
The Criminal Court earlier ordered him to pay a Bt500 fine for violating Article 368 of the Criminal Code.
After taking control of the country, the NCPO twice issued summons for Sombat to report to the council (dated May 23 and May 24). Sombat was nabbed at his house in Chon Buri province on June 5.
Sombat appealed the lower court decision, citing the NCPO staged an illegal coup and did not have sovereign power.
The Court of Appeals ruled that the NCPO staged a successful coup and received royal endorsement to administrate the country. Sombat’s reasoning carried no weight, it ruled.
The court said Sombat’s failure to report to the council was a violation of Article 90 of the Criminal Code and sentenced him to two months in jail commuted to the one-year suspended sentence.
Sombat said he would appeal to the Supreme Court.
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