Appeal judges uphold sentence against sugar swindlers
The Appeal Court yesterday upheld a fouryear prison sentence against three people, including a former member of the Chon Buri Provincial Council, for swindling an Indonesian businessman out of 76 million baht in a bogus sugar sale deal 11 years ago.
The lawsuit was filed by Indonesian businessman Budhi Yuwono, 64, who said Rungroj Suwansri, an executive of Srisuwan Transport Co; Somsak Natenimit, a former Chon Buri provincial councillor; Somsak Sakkasemchaikul; and an Indonesian interpreter had conspired to deceive his company, PT Bumirejo, into buying from them 37,000 tonnes of sugar and used fake documents to support the deal.
However, the interpreter was acquitted by the lower court and his acquittal upheld by the Appeal Court.
The businessman also petitioned the court to force the defendants into returning 76 million baht to him.
According to the suit, the parties colluded to cheat PT Bumirejo by promising to sell 37,000 tonnes of sugar, worth US$9.65 million baht (around 347 million baht), to the firm from January to August, 2005.
They convinced the company, which was granted a concession by the Indonesian government to import sugar, to believe they had a large amount of the commodity to offer, prosecutors said.
The firm was subsequently lured into transferring 76 million baht as an advance payment.
The prosecutors said the accused also forged fake shipment documents, stating their commitment to send the sugar from a port in Chon Buri to Indonesia. This came despite the fact the parties did not have the product in hand. The accused denied the charges.
In March 2015, all but the interpreter were found guilty by the Court of the First Instance and sentenced to four years in jail. Srisuwan Transport Co was fined 8,000 baht.
The lower court acquitted the interpreter as he did not collude with others to forge fake documents or worked with them to commit the offence. He acted only as an interpreter in the deal, the court said. The defendants appealed.