THE Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases Region 8 sentenced a former kindergarten director to 192 years and six months in jail after he was found guilty of swindling the budget for children’s lunch leading to the tots getting poor quality meals, Naewna newspaper said today (Oct. 21).
However the defendant, Mr. Somchaow Sittichen, former director of Ban Tha Mai School, Tha Chana district, Surat Thani province, will actually serve 50 years.
The court said the defendant was guilty of malfeasance according to Criminal Code Section 151 and other laws in serving the children rice noodles mixed with fish sauce and nothing else for lunch.
The court ruled that the defendant was guilty of offences under Sections 151 (previous) and 162 (1) (4) (previous) of the Criminal Code and Section 121/1 of the Organic Act on Counter-Corruption B.E. 2542 as well as many other laws. The defendant was sentenced to five years for each of 77 counts, totalling 385 years.
However as he pleaded guilty this was reduced by half to two-and-a-half years a count totalling 192 years and six months in prison.
The court found that while the amount of money swindled was not high the defendant syphoned part of the lunch budget for a long time and he was also the director of the kindergarten.
CAPTION:
The kindergarten children eating rice noodles mixed with fish sauce and nothing else for lunch. Photo: Matichon
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