A Military Court on Friday sentenced a former Thai palace medical adviser to five and a half years for insulting the monarchy and other charges.
Former Air Vice Marshal Chitpong Thongkum pleaded guilty to royal defamation and four other charges and was convicted, said Sutin Sappuang, chief of the police Crime Suppression Division.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn has made numerous changes in the palace since ascending the throne in December following the death of his father, with punishments for some of those who have fallen from grace.
Chitpong’s sentence was halved from 11 years because of his guilty plea, Sutin told Reuters. He did not detail the specific charges.
Chitpong, who had served as a medical adviser to the king when he was crown prince, was fired last month and stripped of military ranks and royal decorations.
At the time, the government said his offences included claiming ties with the king for personal gain, disclosing the king’s medical records, behaving in ways which the king did not trust and causing “severe damage’’ while on duty.
The country’s strict lese-majesty law makes it a crime to defame, insult or threaten the king, queen, heir to the throne or regent.
Each offence is punishable with a jail term of up to 15 years.
There has been a substantial rise in the number of lese-majesty prosecutions since the death of former King Bhumibol Adulyadej in October. (Reuters/NAN)
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