The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Tuesday afternoon sentenced accused Thai spy Sivarak Chutipong to seven years in prison and a fine of 10 million riel, about 80,000 baht.
Sivarak, 31, an employee of Thai-owned Cambodia Air Traffic Services (CATS), was arrested on Nov 12 on charges of stealing state secrets, the flight information of fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra when he visited Phnom Pehn, and passing it to a Thai diplomat.
Sivarak confessed in court that he did check out Thaksin's flight information. The ousted premier arrived in Phnom Penh early last month after he was appointed economic adviser to Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen and his government.
He said Khamrob Palawatwichai, the first secretary to the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh, contacted him and inquired about Thaksin's flight. He admitted that he confirmed Thaksin's arrival in Cambodia to the diplomat by phone about 30 minutes after the media reported it.
Mr Khamrob was expelled by the Cambodian government last month and the Thai government responded by expelling the first secretary of the Cambodian embassy in Bangkok.
After the verdict was announced, Sivarak's mother Simarak Na Nakhon Phanom called the opposition Puea Thai Party and said her son's lawyer might not file an appeal.
Mrs Simarak said she may ask Puea Thai chairman and former prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh to help seek a royal pardon from the Cambodian king.
Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya's secretary Chavanond Intarakomalyasut said if no appeal was filed, the government would seek a royal pardon for Mr Sivarak immediately.
Bangkok Post
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