Former kamnan's Bt11m permanently seized

The judges announced that the Bt20-million in frozen assets that were owned by Somchai's daughter, Jiraphon, be released since evidence proving that she had earned the money through illegal means was not sufficient.

A total of Bt30 million in assets belonging to Somchai, better known as kamnan Poh, and Jiraphon had been seized by public prosecutors in the Chon Buri land-fraud case several years ago. The latest orders came after the Supreme Court upheld the lower-court verdicts sentencing Somchai to a five-year and four-month prison term.

According to the Supreme Court verdict, Somchai, while he was kamnan for Chon Buri's Bang Saen resort town, used his influence to illegally purchase a land plot in a forest reserve area in tambon Khao Mai Kaew. The Civil Court believed that Somchai had generated Bt11 million through this plot, thus making the amount eligible for permanent seizure.