Thailand's Supreme Court sentenced a fugitive former health minister to 15 years in jail in absentia today for taking bribes from drug firms.
Mr Sermsak Pladtura, head of a nine-judge panel, said it found that Rakkiat Sukthana abused his power during 1997-1998 to favour certain pharmaceutical firms for financial reward.
"The defendant is guilty under Article 149 of the Criminal Code, therefore he is sentenced to 15 years in jail," he said, referring to the crime of abuse of public office, which carries the death sentence.
Rakkiat abolished the health ministry's median price list during 1997-1998 to let some domestic drug firms bid for government contracts and received kickbacks of five million baht ($125,200).
Rakkiat had been a member of parliament seven times, a cabinet minister five times and was a law school graduate.
Rakkiat did not show up in court and an arrest warrant for him was issued. Last month, soon after Rakkiat disappeared, the court ordered his assets worth $6 million be seized.
The Supreme Court's political crime section ordered the seizure of 234 million baht, held in 13 bank accounts, from Rakkiat because he could not prove how he had acquired the money. He had argued in earlier hearings that a large part of the money had come from gambling and a loan.