The Justice Office will offer THB2 million in funds to the middle-aged couple in Kalasin province to use for bail after the court gave them a five year jail sentence for illegal logging charges on Tuesday.
The couple, Udom Sirisorn, 54, and Daeng Sirisorn, 51 were infamously sentenced in 2013 to 15 years in prison after they were caught up in a police operation to arrest illegal woodcutters in Dong Ranang protected forest in 2010.
The couple claimed they were simply plucking mushrooms in the forest for their dinner table. Footage of the couple collapsing in tears during the trial sparked outrage amongst Thai people, who raised questions about the justice system in the kingdom, while many viewed the couple as scapegoats.
The couple were released on bail in 2015 and have been appealing their harsh 15-year sentence. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court reduced the sentence to five years.
Kalasin Justice Office Director Narong Khamphetch said yesterday that their lawyer, Songkran Achariyasap, had come up with new evidence that would justify a retrial.
The celebrity lawyer is expected to revive the case and he will file a petition next week to prove the couple’s innocence. The Justice Office will provide THB1 million each for their bail applications, The Nation reported.
