Man ‘was paid’ to do time behind bars

DSI investigates bizarre jail claims

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) is investigating a bizarre case involving a man who was allegedly paid to serve a prison sentence, illegal wood, the bitter wife of the prisoner and a shady businessman.

The DSI will question the prisoner’s wife who claims her husband was paid to serve a jail term instead of a businessman who, she claims, is the real culprit in a crime involving rare and expensive timber.

Deputy permanent secretary for justice Tawatchai Thaikyo said the case could shake up the justice system. He said it would be the first time that a person who was paid to serve a jail term exposed his own story. In the past, there were only rumours about such illegal activities.

Wikul Phochai, a 42-year-old Mukdahan resident, accompanied by lawyer Songkan Atchariyasap, yesterday lodged a petition with Mr Tawatchai, calling the Justice Ministry to help Chuannarong Khampan, her husband, who is serving his sentence of four years and three months in Mukdahan Prison.

According to her petition, Chuannarong was sentenced after he was linked to the illegal phayung wood trade at a processing factory in the province which was raided by authorities on April 8, last year.

Ms Wikul said she and her husband, who was serving time for another crime and who was due to be freed from the prison at the time, were contacted by a policeman with the rank of senior sergeant major following a bust in an illegal timber trading case.

The officer offered the couple 200,000 baht in exchange for Chuannarong confessing to being the owner of the precious timber and serving a jail term instead of the actual offender, the factory operator.

She and Mr Chuannarong accepted the offer after the policeman promised Chuannarong would only serve four months in prison. The officer later paid them half the promised fee.

However, the court later sentenced Chuannarong to nine years in prison. His sentence was later commuted to four years and three months following a confession.

Ms Wikul said her husband has served about five months of this sentence.

Mr Songkan said Ms Wikul decided to seek his help even though she knows legal action could be taken against her and Chuannarong for allegedly giving false testimony in court.

The lawyer said Chuannarong had appealed the court’s ruling and Ms Wikul had earlier sought help from several government agencies, which “fell on deaf ears”.

Besides the Justice Ministry, Ms Wikul also submitted a similar petition with the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission, he added.

Meanwhile, Mr Tawatchai pledged to take legal action against people in connection with the case if Ms Wikul’s allegations prove to be true.

“If they stack up, it will be the first time a person who was paid to serve a jail term has exposed his own story,” he said.

The Department of Special Investigation will be assigned to handle the case. A lawyer will be arranged for Chuannarong as well.

Mr Tawatchai, however, admitted the alleged miscarriage of justice was partly caused by the judicial process which needs to be reformed.