Former Yala governor Teera Mintrasak has been sentenced to eight years in prison for malfeasance in the purchase of bogus GT200 bomb detectors in 2007-2009.
He was found guilty and sentenced on Tuesday by the Region 9 Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases. Teera was one of 12 defendants in the case. The 11 others, all former provincial officials, were given prison terms ranging from nine months to four years and nine months.
The cases were all filed with the court in 2021. Prosecutors charged the 12 defendants with malfeasance under Section 157 of the Criminal Code for their roles in the purchases of the non-functional detectors under two contracts.
The court found them guilty as charged and sentenced Teera, the 1st defendant, to eight years, the 2nd-4th defendants to four years, the 5th defendant to nine months, the 6th-7th defendants to four years and nine months and the 8th-12th defendants to four years in jail without suspension.
The court also ordered them to pay compensation for the damages incurred. The matter is not yet final. The defendants can each appeal the ruling, said Kosolwat Inthuchanyong, deputy spokesperson for the Office of the Attorney-General.
The case against the Yala officials was one of many involving state agencies’ procurements of GT200 bomb detectors during 2007-2009.
In September 2018, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) wrapped up its investigations into the 16 cases and forwarded reports and recommendations to prosecutors.
According to the DSI, the distributors of the bomb detectors persuaded several government agencies to buy them. The department found evidence of fraud and deception in these cases.
The damaged parties included the Central Institute of Forensic Science (CIFS), Royal Thai Army Ordnance Department, Customs Department, Provincial Administration Department, Royal Thai Aide-De-Camp Department, Provincial Police of Sing Buri and Chai Nat, Songkhla Provincial Administration, Royal Thai Navy Security Centre and five provincial administrations — Phitsanulok, Phetchaburi, Phuket, Yala and Sukhothai.
Court rulings have already been made in some of these cases.
On March 10 this year, the National Anti-Corruption Commission passed a resolution to file a lawsuit against forensic expert and CIFS director at the time Khunying Porntip Rojanasunan and other CFIS officials in connection with the case.
Suspicions about the devices arose when tests by the National Science and Technology Development Agency found they did not contain any electronic components.