'Pastrygate' attorney was allegedly handing out chocolate because he was sorry for 'court officials who work so hard'

The Supreme Court yesterday sentenced three lawyers working for ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife to six months in jail without appeal for attempting to bribe court officials with a

box stashed with Bt2 million cash.

It was not immediately clear how the bribery case would proceed and how or whether it would affect the high-profile case the three were working on - the Ratchadaphisek land auction scandal, the outcome of which could shape the course of politics.

The verdict read that the June 10 attempted bribery was "a grave matter" that insulted the highest court, undermined its authority, threatened its reputation and would likely have "repercussions" on the land case against Thaksin and his wife.

Thana Tansri, the lawyer who handed a cash-stashed box to a court official, was not present at court yesterday. He claimed to have a headache, and asked the court to delay making a ruling.

Handcuffs despite headache

The judge turned the request down, saying Thana's condition wasn't serious enough, and ordered a warrant for his arrest.

The other two lawyers, Pichit Chuenban and Suphasri Sriswat, were visibly shaken by the verdict as they were handcuffed and taken away to detention.

"I'm certain [of my innocence]," Pichit, the most senior lawyer in the team, told Daily Xpress after the verdict.

Guilty verdict

The court found Thana guilty of trying to bribe ML Thitipong Chompoonuch, a legal officer at the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders, by reason of handing the cash to Thitipong.

The verdict says Thana told ML Thitipong: "These days I have to come [to court] often and I feel sorry for the officials who work so hard, so I have something for you."

The court said the other two lawyers worked closely with Thana as a team and must have been involved in the bribery.

Meanwhile Pongthep Thep-kanchana, Thaksin's personal spokesman, did not answer phone calls. He had earlier said he didn't believe that anyone would bribe the court and that the incident "was a joke".

Suchat Lainamngern, a People Power Party MP for Lop Buri, said he felt sorry for Pichit because he did not order anyone to give the money to court officials.

"It was Thana who did it. As far as I know, Thana picked up the wrong bag. He picked the money bag which he got from selling personal assets," Suchat said.

Suchat said neither Pichit, who is a lawyer of 30 years, nor Thaksin were involved with the Bt2 million bribe.

Sources from the Lawyers' Council of Thailand say the council may punish the three by striking them off.

XTRA

What the court said

>> Thana claimed it was a case of a mistaken box, as his wife had prepared another bag containing chocolate. But if Thana was really handing out chocolate he should have done it in the open and not privately with ML Thitipong.

>> Witnesses had no prior grudge against the accused.

>> When Thana was asked to take the box back, he didn't bother to check it.

>> The other two lawyers worked closely with Thana, and were at the court on that day.

>> When Pichit called ML Thitipong to apologise, he didn't appear to have been reprimanded.