Ex-minister Watana gets 50-year jail term as Supreme Court upholds conviction

The Supreme Court upheld the guilty verdict handed to Watana and eight other defendants by the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions.

The lower court had ruled on September 24, 2020 that Watana and eight other defendants had violated the laws by demanding a bribe of Bt82.6 million from Pastiya Thai Co Ltd in exchange for helping it win the Bt2.5-billion Eua Arthont housing project for the poor when Watana was social development and human security minister.

The bribe was demanded through President Trading Co and its employee.

The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions had earlier ruled that Watana had committed 11 counts of violations of Section 148 of the Criminal Code that prohibits abuse of official positions to demand assets or any interest from others.

Watana was given nine years imprisonment for each count, totalling 99 years, but the law allows a person to be jailed for a maximum of 50 years for corruption crimes.

Watana had appealed against the verdict in the Supreme Court. The defence argued that he had no relationship with Apichart Chansakulporn, better known as Sia Piang, who had demanded the bribe from the real estate developer.

Watana also argued that the Anti-Money Laundering Office had checked the transaction trail and did not find him linked to the bribe money.

But the top court ruled that all evidence pointed to wrongdoings committed by Watana, while upholding the earlier verdict of the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions.

The housing project for the poor was implemented by the Thaksin Shinawatra government.

Following the 2006 coup that toppled the Thaksin government, the now-defunct Assets Scrutiny Committee initiated an inquiry over irregularities in the low-cost housing project.

The case was later taken up by the National Anti-Corruption Commission, which decided to sue Watana and 13 other defendants in the Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions in 2017 for violating the Criminal Code.

Friday’s ruling by the Supreme Court following the appeal marks the end of the legal process in the case.

The top court ordered Watana, Apichart and President Trading to return Bt82.6 million to the state.

Watana was in court to hear the verdict. Before entering the courtroom, he had told reporters that he was innocent and confident of being acquitted.

After the court spent two hours reading the verdict, the ex-minister was taken to prison by Corrections Department officials.