Khon Kaen MP accused of 431 million baht embezzlement

The court of Thailand has postponed the verdict hearing for an MP of Khon Kaen province, who is facing charges of embezzling 431 million baht from the Khon Kaen Teachers’ Savings Cooperative. Ekkarat claims the case has been politically manipulated and made a statement at 2.30pm yesterday, October 7.

The Khon Kaen Provincial Court initially scheduled the verdict for Ekkarat Changlao, a Member of Parliament from the Bhumjaithai Party representing Khon Kaen’s 4th district and former chairperson of the Khon Kaen Teachers’ Savings Cooperative. He stands accused of embezzling a staggering 431 million baht between 2011 and 2019 while serving as the cooperative’s manager.

The prosecution, represented by the public prosecutor and attorney Suthon Sonkhamkaew, has charged Ekkarat with embezzlement, document forgery, and using fake official documents in connection with the cooperative’s missing funds.

Ekkarat faced the charges without providing an additional 130 million baht in collateral or the 100 million baht to settle damages with the cooperative by the end of July, as per the pre-trial agreement. Initially, he admitted to the charges but later retracted his plea, claiming that the funds were used to purchase land, which was then mortgaged as collateral for the cooperative’s debt.

He maintained that he intended to return the money all along. His former legal team advised him to confess, but the prosecution objected, arguing that the trial had already included all witness testimonies, and changing his plea would disrupt the case’s integrity.

Land for auction

Ekkarat informed the court that the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) seized three plots of land intended for auction. The first auction attracted no buyers due to the high valuation exceeding 500 million baht.

Ekkarat proposed to AMLO to divide the land into smaller plots, which would collectively not exceed 300 million baht, ensuring potential buyers. He asked the prosecution to wait for this fund, but they countered, stating Ekkarat had twice breached previous agreements.

The cooperative’s general assembly consequently resolved to request the court to impose a penalty on Ekkarat. The court ruled that Ekkarat’s plea retraction was merely a delay tactic since he failed to secure funds to settle the debt as agreed.

Therefore, the court denied his request to change the plea and decided to proceed with the original plea. Additionally, the case must be referred to the Chief Judge of the 4th Regional Court for review. The verdict reading has been rescheduled for December 18 at 9am.

Ekkarat publicly stated that the issue has been politically manipulated, asserting that money is not the problem and he will eventually return the full amount. He explained that the land in Khon Kaen, currently up for sale, has yet to attract bidders.

He reiterated that the funds taken from the cooperative were invested in land to secure the cooperative’s debt. Ekkarat has expressed frustration over the situation, particularly since his previous confession weighed heavily on him. He plans to hold a press conference on Thursday, October 10, to provide more details to the media, reported KhaoSod.