The confirmation of corruption verdicts came as NACC Region 8 Assistant Secretary-General Suchart Kruakitanon held a press conference at the NACC Phuket office yesterday (June 24).
The press conference was held to announce the third-quarter performance results for fiscal year 2025, outlining the NACC’s continued efforts to crack down on corruption in the upper southern region.
The press conference was joined by directors from seven NACC provincial offices: Nakhon Sri Thammarat, Krabi, Surat Thani, Chumphon, Ranong, Phang Nga and Phuket.
NACC Region 8 Assistant Secretary-General Mr Suchart revealed that Thaworn Chirapattanasophon had been sentenced to four years in jail for corruption over a Bang Yai Canal construction project.
Mr Thaworn was still Phuket Town Deputy Mayor at the time the charges were pressed.
However, Mr Suchart failed to present any details of the corruption case against Mr Thaworn, or the four others also initially found guilty of corruption.
Of note, all different branches of the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department (PR Phuket) reported that the NACC Region 8 summary was presented yesterday.
However, while reporting that NACC Region 8 presented their activities in Phang Nga, Krabi and even Ranong, not one of the Phuket government “news” outlets reported anything about NACC Region 8 activities in Phuket.
BASIC DETAILS
NACC Phuket Chief Mr Suwat was willing to explain to The Phuket News that the investigations under black case number 65-1-347/2562 (in 2019) and red case number 0012-1-50/2566 (in 2023) resulted in the sentencing of five individuals, including former Phuket Town Deputy Mayor Mr Thaworn.
“The investigation found that the construction project was not completed according to the contract, but an extension was approved without reasonable cause, resulting in damage to the government”, Mr Suwat said.
“NACC Phuket resolved to indict all accused under Sections 151 and 157 of the Criminal Code, stating that the approval of the extension was not in accordance with the law and lacked legitimacy,” he continued.
“In addition, NACC Phuket resolved to indict several civil servants involved with serious disciplinary offenses,” he added.
The Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Region 8 found Mr Thaworn and his group guilty of unlawfully approving a project extension without legal justification, causing damage to the state, Mr Suwat confirmed.
“Mr Thaworn was sentenced to four years in prison, while four others received two years and eight months,” he said.
“The contractor, Phang Nga Building Materials Partnership Ltd, was fined B20,000,” he added.
“Some of the accused have appealed the verdict and are in the process of being considered by the Appeal Court. Their legal status is still considered innocent until the final verdict is reached,” Mr Suwat concluded.
ODDITIES
Only after being pressed for clarity, Mr Suchart admitted that the four-year jail sentence was handed down to Mr Thaworn on Sept 11 last year.
Asked why NACC Phuket was reporting the jail sentencing now, and did not report it 10 months ago, Mr Suwat said, “The NACC has a policy of holding quarterly press conferences, in which we will select major cases to discuss, even though the office has many cases, but will select only the important ones.
“Previously, we held quarterly press conferences, such as last year in Surat Thani and Chumphon, and this year in Phuket in which we selected only the really major cases.”
Further pressed, Mr Suchart revealed that Mr Thaworn had entered a plea of guilty and did not appeal the verdict against him.
Yet Mr Suwat declined to answer whether the sentence was halved, a standard practice by Thai courts for those who plead guilty to charges against them.
Mr Suwat also declined to answer whether the sentence was “with probation” ‒ meaning that Thaworn will not spend a single day in jail.
THE FOUR OTHERS
Mr Suwat did reveal that among the “four others” found guilty of corruption included Phuket City Municipality Palad (Chief Administrative Officer) Thawatchai Thongmang and Kriangsak Chuchatphong, Director of the Phuket City Municipality Engineering Department.
Mr Suwat did not name the other two.
“The court saw that the Palad [Mr Thawatchai] was a high-ranking position and therefore had a higher sentence. He was sentenced to two years and eight months in jail,” he said.
“However, all four have filed an appeal against the initial guilty verdict against them. That appeal is still being heard in the Appeal Court,” he added.
“The four can continue to work [as officials] while the appeal is being heard,” he said.
“I think they will be given probation, but as for the deputy mayor, I will not answer further questions because the case against all of them has not yet concluded,” Mr Suwat noted.
Of note, the corruption charges against Mr Thaworn were pressed while he was Phuket Town Deputy Mayor under Phuket Town Mayor Somjai Suwansupana.
Phuket Town now has Supachoke Laongphet as its mayor.