BANGKOK, July 25 (Xinhua) -- All the three Election Commission (EC) commissioners were sent to Bangkok Remand Prison Tuesday afternoon after the Criminal Court of Thailand sentenced them to an immediate four-year jail term without suspension for mishandling of the controversial April 2 and April 23 general election polls.

    The Criminal Court refused to grant bail for the three Election Commission members after the morning sentence on ground that "if they were released, they would cause more damages to the new election."

    All the three commissioners, namely, EC chairman Wasana Permlarp and two commissioners Prinya Nakchudtree and Veerachai Naewboonnien, automatically lose their EC status right after the court announced their guilty.

    The judges also stripped the three of the right to vote for 10 years.

    All the three commissioners though accepting the court's verdict, vowed to fight the case in the Court of Appeal.

    The trio were charged in a case lodged by Deputy Secretary General of the opposition Democrat Party Thaworn Senniam of violating Article 157 of the Criminal Law and the Articles 24 and 42 of the statute regarding the election agency for misconduct in organizing the April 23 by-election without a legal mandate and in circulating a letter to provincial election commissioners favoring ruling Thai Rak Thai (TRT) Party candidates. Enditem

    Related: Thai election commissioners sentenced guilty in historic case

    BANGKOK, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The Criminal Court of Thailand on Tuesday sentenced all the three remaining Election Commission (EC) members to an immediate four-year jail term without suspension for mishandling of the controversial April 2 and April 23 general election polls, which were later nullified by the Constitution Court.

    The judges also stripped the three, namely, EC chairman Wasana Permlarp and two commissioners Prinya Nakchudtree and Veerachai Naewboonnien, of the right to vote for 10 years.

    All the three commissioners though accepting the court's verdict, vowed to fight the case in the Court of Appeal. Full story>>

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