Bt2m aid for ‘mushroom pickers’
The Justice Fund will provide Bt2 million to help a couple apply for bail after the Supreme Court on Tuesday sentenced them to five years in prison for illegal logging in Dong Ranang national forest seven years ago, if their lawyer files a petition for a retrial. The case has gained attention as Udom, 54, and Deang Sirisorn, 51, from Non Sa-ard village in Kalasin’s Huai Mek district, claimed to have been merely picking mushrooms in the area, raising questions about the severity of the sentence. Kalasin Justice Office director Narong Khamphetch said on May 3 that their defence lawyer, Songkran Achariyasap, had signalled that there was significant new evidence that would justify a retrial.
