Supreme Court denies bail for Banyin’s accomplices
Two women close to former commerce minister Banyin Tangpakorn were denied bail in a share case and remain behind bars, Supreme Court officials said yesterday.
Kanthana Siwathanapol, 30, a former golf caddie, and Uracha Wachirakulton, 29, a former stockbroker, were each sentenced to four years in prison by a lower court on Friday.
They were convicted of conspiring with Pol Lt Col Banyin to forge documents to transfer 263 million baht worth of shares owned by late billionaire contractor Chuwong Sae Tang.
Ms Kanthana and Ms Uracha appealed the convictions by placing guarantees worth 5 million baht and 3 million baht respectively, and applied for bail.
However, the Appeal Court rejected their requests.
They then turned to the Supreme Court on Tuesday, but the court turned down their request the following day saying they were flight risks.
On Friday, the Bangkok South Criminal Court sentenced Pol Lt Col Banyin to eight years in prison for forging documents to transfer the 263 million baht worth of shares to his two associates.
However, Ms Uracha’s mother Srithara Phromm, who was accused by police of receiving stolen assets, was acquitted due to insufficient evidence.
Earlier, the women claimed to have been Chuwong’s mistresses, with Ms
Kanthana claiming she had had a child with him.
Chuwong was found dead in Pol Lt Col Banyin’s Lexus sports utility vehicle after it hit a tree in Prawet district of Bangkok in June 2015.
Pol Lt Col Banyin, who was the driver and escaped unscathed, claimed they were friends and it was an accident.
Police suspect he had Chuwong murdered and staged the accident to cover the crime. Police are investigating the alleged murder.