The 59-year-old former police commissioner was handed the 15 additional years in jail for collecting bribes from promoted police officers and oil smugglers.
In the promotion bribery case, the Criminal Court convicted and sentenced Pol Lt Gen Pongpat, former CIB deputy commissioner Kowit Wongrungroj, 59, and three others from the Crime Suppression Division (CSD): Pol Col Wuthichat Luensukhan, 46, Pol Snr Sgt Maj Surasak Channgao, 50, and Pol Snr Sgt Maj Chattrin Laothong, 48.
The court ruled that between Oct 1, 2010 and Nov 11, 2014, the five, together with the late Pol Col Akkharawut Limrat of the CSD, had collected bribes from many police officers in exchange for their being promoted or retaining their positions.
They demanded B3-5 million for each promotion, requiring promoted officers to pay B10,000 to B2 million a month to retain their positions. Those who paid included Pol Maj Chatree Rungdamrong, a highway police inspector.
Pol Lt Gen Pongpat and Pol Maj Gen Kowit were each sentenced to 20 years and the three others to 12 years. Their terms were halved because they confessed.
In the oil smuggling bribery case, the Criminal Court found Pongpat, Kowit and Pol Maj Gen Boonsueb Phraithuen, a 55-year-old former marine police commander, guilty of collecting bribes worth a total of B147.4 million in exchange for turning a blind eye to oil smugglers operating in Thai waters from February 2012 to July 2014.
Pongpat and Kowit were sentenced to 10 years each while Boonsueb got 15 years because he had also claimed the bribes would reach HRH the Crown Prince. Their terms were halved due to their confession.
Pongpat had been sentenced earlier to 16 years and nine months for taking bribes from gambling den operators, money laundering and forest law violations. When the latest term of 15 years is added, his total prison time rises to 31 years and nine months.
Kowit had already been sentenced to 11 years in jail for money laundering and for taking casino bribes. His combined prison term increased to 26 years with the addition of today’s sentence of 15 years.
Boonsueb had faced a prison term of one year and six months for money laundering. This, added to today’s sentence of seven years and six months raises his combined imprisonment time to nine years.
All prison sentences in Thailand are consecutive.
See original story here.