BANGKOK, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- A former Thai commerce minister was on Friday sentenced to 42 years in jail under a historical lawsuit involving an alleged rice trading scam several years ago.
The Supreme Court delivered the 42-years jail term to Boonsong Teriyapirom, the former commerce minister under former premier Yingluck Shinawatra, as he was finally ruled guilty of corruption charges.
Boonsong and 25 other defendants appeared before the Supreme Court for a final judgment on the criminal lawsuit while Yingluck failed to show up for the delivery of a final verdict on a separate case on Friday.
Other defendants found guilty of involvement in the conspiracy over the rice dealings included former deputy commerce minister Poom Sarapol, who was sentenced to 36 years in jail, former foreign trade department director general Manas Soiploy, who was sentenced to 40 years in jail, former deputy foreign trade department director general Tikhumporn Natvaratat, sentenced to 32 years in jail, and rice dealer Apichart Chansakulporn 48 years in jail.
Besides, the court ruled for Apichart and his rice trading firm, namely Siam Indica Co., to give the Ministry of Finance a sum of 497 million U.S. dollars in compensation pay for the state losses in the rigged rice deals.
