BANGKOK, July 22 — Thailand’s Criminal Court today sentenced red shirt leaders Jatuporn Prompan and Nattawut Saikuar to two-year jail terms in a case that found them guilty of illegal wire-tapping of phone conversations, but the punishment was suspended for two years.
The sentence was made as they had played back a phone conversation of Pol Col Peerapan Premabhuti, former permanent secretary for the PM’s Office, Wirat Chinwinitkul, former secretary of the Supreme Court, and Appeals Court Judge Pairote Nawanut at a United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) rally in Bangkok’s Sanam Luang on June 22, 2007.
Their confession led the court to commute their punishment from three years in jail and a fine of Bt60,000 to two-year imprisonment and a fine of Bt40,000.
One of the damaged persons told the court that he did not pursue the case because he understood why the two men had listened in to his phone conversation and he understood their intention to play back the recorded tape.
Their punishment was, therefore, suspended for two years.
Following the verdict and sentencing, Mr Nattawut and Mr Jatuporn did not speak to reporters. After being detained by the National Council for Peace and Order, no leaders of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship also known as red shirts made no comments to the media.
As for another co-defendant in the case, Jakrapob Penkair, a former PM’s Office Minister, the Court has indefinitely suspended the case because Mr Jakrapob has fled overseas.
