On Tuesday, Thailand’s Appeals Court sentenced Premchai Karnasut, the president of Italian-Thai Development Corp, to six months in jail for possessing a rifle without permission.
According to local reports, the court charged Premchai under the Firearms and Ammunition Act 1947 for possession of a rifle in his villa in Bangkok.
The crime is punishable with imprisonment for a year under the Firearms Act, Section 7, 72.
However, since the accused pleaded guilty, the sentence was reduced to six months in prison without parole.
Premchai claimed the rifle belonged to his father and remained in the house after his death, but the court considered it contrary to the plea of confession and didn’t accept it for further consideration.
The court granted bail on a 200,000 baht guarantee as he planned to appeal against the verdict in the Supreme Court.
Premchai’s attorneys are currently applying for bail which is in the process of approval.
Premchai was convicted of trying to bribe park rangers at the Thungyai Naraesuan Wildlife Sanctuary in February 2018.
Earlier on July 29, 2020, the appeal court upheld the one-year prison sentence imposed for attempted bribery by the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases. Premchai was later released by the court on 500,000 baht bail.