BANGKOK: The Corrections Department insisted on Monday (Aug 5) that it had correctly calculated the date for the parole of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Feb 18.
The department issued a statement on Monday in response to a question raised by former Democrat Party MP Thepthai Senpong, who said on Sunday that Thaksin’s parole should have begun on March 5 and not Feb 18.
Thepthai quoted Pongsawat Neelayothin, permanent secretary for the Justice Ministry, as saying that Thaksin would complete his one-year jail term on Aug 31.
Thepthai said when the one-year jail term was reduced by 180 days or half a year, Thaksin’s parole should have started on March 5 as the law requires an inmate to be jailed for a minimum of half a year before being eligible for parole.
The department’s statement noted that Thepthai had misunderstood Thaksin’s reduced jail term and the starting date of his imprisonment, explaining that Thaksin’s started serving his term on Aug 22, 2023 and was given royal clemency that reduced his eight-year jail term to one year on Aug 31 of that year.
The one-year term would thus be counted from the date on which the royal pardon was given.
The department said parole regulations stated that an inmate must have served at least six months in jail or one-third of his term, whichever is longer.
In Thaksin’s case, the six-month period is longer and was counted from the first day of his imprisonment, namely Aug 22. The department added that the 180-day period was reached on Feb 17, so he was eligible to be released on parole on Feb 18.
The department added that Article 21 of the Criminal Code stated that the first day of imprisonment would be counted no matter how many hours the inmate was jailed on the first day. - The Nation/ANN
