Pemmika gets 4 years for fraud

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Pemmika gets 4 years for fraud
Published: 27/10/2010 at 12:00 AM
Bangkok Post: Newspaper section: News



Pemmika Veerachatraksit has been sentenced to four years and six months in jail for deceiving renowned tutor Prakitpao Tomtitchong into giving her gifts and cash worth some 8 million baht.

Three of her friends received three years in jail for acting as accomplices.

The Criminal Court yesterday ruled that Pemmika, 28, from October 2006 to February 2007 had deceived Dr Prakitpao into believing they had been a couple in many past lives and he had abused her.

Dr Prakitpao, the 38-year-old owner of the tutorial school Applied Physics, gave her money and gifts over the period because she led him to believe it was just compensation for the past abuse, the court ruled.

Public prosecutors and Dr Prakitpao's mother, Ploenchit Tomtitchong, stated the doctor was not mentally stable at the time and he drained income from the family's business to provide the gifts.

Dr Prakitpao's gifts to Pemmika included a 1.56 million baht Toyota Camry car, a 245,000 baht Rolex watch, a 145,000 baht diamond ring and two pistols worth 130,000 baht.

The doctor's money was also used to buy a rare 9999 licence plate number for 980,000 baht at an auction; 150,000 baht was used on Pemmika's condominium rent; and 250,000 baht went on a down payment on a house for her.

Another 4.56 million baht was spent on cashier cheques that were deposited into accounts in Pemmika's name, as well as cash to help Pemmika's mother repay debts.

The court dismissed Pemmika's claims that the money and gifts were given out of love.

Three of Pemmika's friends - Ruethai Rungsirimethakul, 26, Natthapol Promprapai, 31, and Wathanyu Tantheerapong, 30 - received sentences of three years in prison, suspended for two years, and fines of 27,000 baht each.

The court also ordered the four to return the 8 million baht to Dr Prakitpao and his mother.

The Criminal Court ordered Pemmika's release on bail of one million baht pending her appeal.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/crimes/203346/pemmika-gets-4-years-for-fraud