The Criminal Court sentenced two high ranking policemen charged with lèse majesté and misconduct to 12 years in prison.

The Criminal Court on Friday afternoon sentenced Pol Lt Gen Pongpat C., ex-Commander of the Central Investigation Bureau, and Pol Maj Gen Kowit R., former Deputy Commander of the Central Investigation Bureau, to 12 years in prison in total under three offences.  

The two received five years each for the first two offences under Article 112, lèse majesté, and Article 157, malfeasance in office, of the Criminal Code. In addition, the two were sentenced to two years for running a gambling den, in violation of the 1935 Gambling Act.    

However, the prison terms were halved because the two pleaded guilty and the two were sent to prison for six years.

Pongpat and Kowit were arrested at the end of November 2014. The two were accused of citing the monarchy for personal benefit, asking for bribes, money laundering and misconduct.

After the two were arrested, nearly 30 more suspects were arrested for associating with the monarchy-citing network of the two high-ranking police officers, 19 of whom have now been charged with lèse majesté.

Four of the suspects arrested are siblings of Srirasmi Suwadee, the former Royal Consort to Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn who resigned from her status as a member of the Royal Family following the recent arrests of her relatives charged with corruption and lèse majesté.