The Supreme Court has granted bail to former deputy chief of the Revenue Department Benja Louischaroen and four others found guilty in a case involving Shin Corp share purchases in 2006.
The court yesterday approved their temporary release on bail with 500,000-baht surety each, pending appeal.
The court banned them from leaving the country without court permission, and ordered they hand over their passports to the court. The court also informed the Immigration Bureau of its orders.
The court also issued an order to release the five from Bangkok Remand Prison and the Central Women's Correctional Institution, where they had been detained.
The Appeal Court on Thursday upheld a three-year jail sentence for Benja and three ex-Revenue Department officials for their roles in helping the family of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra evade almost 16 billion baht in tax payments.
The court also upheld a two-year jail term for Pranee Vejjapruekpitak, former secretary to Thaksin's ex-wife Khunying Potjaman na Pombejra, for supporting the offence.
The case involved Shin Corp shares purchased in 2006 by Panthongtae and Pinthongta Shinawatra, the children of the former prime minister, from Ample Rich, an offshore holding company controlled by the Shinawatra family.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission brought the case to the court in December 2015.
