Court reduces Poh's term
The Supreme Court yesterday upheld the prison sentence against influential figure Somchai Kunplome, better known as Kamnan Poh, for his conviction in masterminding corrupt land deals worth Bt93 million in Chon Buri province.
The fugitive, however, had his term reduced to three years and four months from the five years and four months verdict of the Court of Appeals. The corruption charges centre on Somchai's 1994 sale of protected forest land near Pattaya for Bt93 million. The land was sold to local authorities who wanted to convert it into a garbage dump. At the time of the sale, Somchai was mayor of Saensuk in Chon Buri province, where the land was located, and was found to have skimmed profits off the sale. The other defendant in the trial - Winai Somsab, a former kamnan in tambon Mai Khao in Muang district - was also found guilty and sentenced to three years and four months. Wiriya Bunkool, a former legal adviser with the Pattaya City and Prasert Phoohong, the fourth and fifth defendants in the trial, respectively, were acquitted. Siwadol Sukhonthasin, the second defendant, had died during an earlier trial. An arrest warrant was later issued for Somchai, who has reportedly fled to Cambodia while many reports said he was still hiding in Thailand. Somchai is already facing a 25-year prison term handed by the Court of Appeals for masterminding a murder. The statue of limitations in the corruption and murder cases against Somchai would end after 10 years and 20 years, respectively. - the nation
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