Thanathorn’s brother: I was victim, not villain, in royal land case

The younger brother of Progressive Movement leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit insisted on Tuesday he deserves compensation as a victim rather than facing a bribery conviction over his firm’s attempt to rent two plots from the Crown Property Bureau (CPB).

Sakulthorn Juangroongruangkit, CEO of Real Asset Development, issued a statement protesting his innocence after the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases slapped him with four months in jail for paying a 20-million-baht bribe to a broker and CPB official to secure leases on Bangkok plots in Soi Ruamruedee and Chidlom.

Sakulthorn was released on bail pending an appeal against the ruling.

“I hereby affirm my integrity and the honesty of my actions. I’m ready to defend myself through the judicial process and an appeal,” the statement said.

Sakulthorn said his company had simply sought to rent two plots of land from the CPB in 2017.

He said he and his board members had acted lawfully and with honest intentions throughout the process.

“But I became a victim and was defrauded by a person outside the company who collaborated with an official within the bureau to forge CPB documents to deceive and damage me,” Sakulthorn said in the statement.

He was referring to Prasit Apaipolcharn, a CPB official, and broker Surakit Tungwithoonwanit.

On Monday, the court found Sakulthorn guilty of bribing the two men with 20 million baht. Sakulthorn argued the sum was simply a brokerage fee paid in line with the law.

Sakulthorn said he presented the forged document to the bureau to check after realising he had been duped. He said his information had led to legal action and the imprisonment of Prasit and Surakit.

Sakulthorn said he was summoned by police in 2019 to testify as a witness and victim in the case but was too busy to meet with police.

“I acted with honest intentions. I was also worried about possible damage to a state agency and other persons,” he said.

“I informed the Crown Property Bureau so it could investigate because I wanted to prevent state agencies and other persons from facing damage from similar incidents in the future.”
He said the decision to take legal action against him could deter other victims of fraud from speaking out and fighting corruption by state officials.