Yongyuth jailed for 2 months and banned 5 years

Yongyuth arrives at the Supreme Court to hear the verdict.//Prasert Thepsri

The National Counter Corruption Commission had accused Yongyuth, also a former natural resources and enviroment minister for submitting false declaration of his assets after leaving his ministerial post.

The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Office however suspended his jail term. Yongyuth was also fined Bt4,000.

Yongyuth appeared at the court and seemed to show no feeling after hearing the verdict.

Last week the court on Friday ruled against former deputy interior minister Sombat Uthaisang for concealing his wife's assets of Bt106 million.

Although the court suspended the jail term for a year, Sombat was also banned from holding any political position for five years.

Sombat, who was also an adviser to the information and communications technology minister in a Thaksin Shinawatra government, did not declare nine bank accounts his wife was sharing with their three mature children.

Besides a Bt4,000 fine, the court also gave Sombat a two-month jail term for falsifying the assets-declaration statement given to the National Anti-Corruption Commission after he took office .

Although the court suspended the jail term for a year, Sombat was also banned from holding any political position for five years.

The court also earlier disqualified a Nakhon Sawan senator, Orapin Munsilp, over similar charges. It is scheduled to give a verdict on the assets-concealing case against former natural resources and environment minister Yongyuth Tiyapairat on Monday.