Taen Thaugsuban and three other defendants were found guilty by the Criminal Court of forest encroachment in Koh Samui district of Surat Thani. (Bangkok Post file photo)The Criminal Court on Wednesday handed down jail terms on four people, including a son of former deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban, after finding them guilty of forest encroachment at Khao Phaeng in Koh Samui district of Surat Thani province. The case was filed against the four by special cases prosecutors, as proposed by the Department of Special Investigation on Dec 3, 2013. They were accused of encroaching on Khao Phaeng land in the district in violation of the Forest Act, Land Act and Criminal Code. The court ruled the four defendants' actions had directly and indirectly led to environmental changes which could lead to natural disaster.

Source: Bangkok Post September 21, 2016 11:03 UTC