The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions issued its ruling on July 23 but it was not reported until the past week, reports the Bangkok Post.
According to Isranews Agency, the court found Mr Witoon, a former MP for Ubon Ratchathani, guilty of abusing his authority while serving on a House committee scrutinising the 2013–14 budget bill.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) subsequently investigated a complaint against the MP and recommended a criminal indictment in July 2022, Isranews said.
Witoon, now 66, was a former deputy leader of the Democrat Party and served as social development and human security minister.
The court found that Witoon had demanded B30mn from a business operator, claiming he could help secure state budget allocations for infrastructure projects in the Northeast and South.
The victim made several payments between June 2013 and May 2014, totalling B29.6mn, which the court found to constitute an unlawful exercise of power for personal gain.
The court ruled that the politician’s actions constituted abuse of power and corruption under Section 123/1 of the Organic Act on Anti-Corruption.
The court acquitted four other defendants, all relatives of Witoon, due to insufficient evidence.
Unusual wealth
In a separate development, the NACC ruled on June 17 this year that Witoon had exhibited signs of unusual wealth amounting to B58.9mn during his tenure as an MP in 2011.
The assets in question include:
B15mn used to construct a building
14.3 million baht transferred to Sukhontha Homchan, a former common-law spouse, for the purchase of a house
29.6 million baht received without any apparent legal basis, allegedly linked to his official duties.
The anti-graft agency has recommended forwarding the case file and evidence to the Office of the Attorney-General. Prosecutors there would be asked to decide whether to seek a Supreme Court order to confiscate the assets for the state.
The court has not yet ruled on this matter.
Witoon served briefly as social development and human security minister in the Abhisit Vejjajiva government from December 2008 to February 2009, but resigned after he was implicated in the distribution of rotten canned fish to flood victims in Phatthalung province.