The Military Supreme Court yesterday upheld the lower court's four-year and six-month jail sentence given to an ex-army official in connection with a botched car bomb targeting ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006.
The court yesterday affirmed the Bangkok Military Court's jail sentence and a 3,000-baht fine against Lt Thawatchai Klinchana, a former military officer who was among three offenders in the case.
The two others are Col Manas Sukprasert and Col Surapol Supradit, ex-military officers attached to the Internal Security Operations Command.
Shortly after the ruling, Lt Thawatchai was taken to a prison at the 11th Military Circle in Nakhon Pathom province.
In August 2006, authorities providing security for former premier Thaksin spotted a Daewoo car, carrying a Bangkok licence plate, parked on a road near a bridge crossing Bang Phat intersection where Thaksin's procession of vehicles was supposed to pass by.
Security officials then worked with local police to search the car and found bomb circuits, TNT and C-4 explosives and containers of gasoline and urea-based fertiliser inside.
Authorities also managed to arrest one male suspect at the time.
In 2009, the Bangkok Military Court handed down a six-year jail sentence and a fine of 4,000 baht each against the three ex-officials for having explosives and armaments in their possession without permission as well as deploying bombs in public areas without reasonable cause.
Their crimes breached the Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, Fireworks and the Equivalent of Firearms Act as well as Sections 236 and 63 of the Criminal Code.
Lt Thawatchai's penalty was later commuted to four years and six months in jail and a fine of 3,000 baht as his testimony was deemed useful. He appealed the sentence.
The court dropped the attempted-assassination charges.
