The Criminal Court sentenced nine executives of the World Peace University (WPU) to a minimum of 10 years in jail for fraud and violating the Computer Crimes Act on Wednesday.
The defendants were found guilty of duping more than 100 people, including celebrities and public figures, into believing that they had studied at a legitimate institution, when in fact the WPU never received a permit to operate from the Office of Higher Education Commission, the ruling said.
The executives, namely Sawat Banthoengsuk, Supphanat Donchan, Rewat Chatriwisit, Warangkhana Phaowongsa, Manop Phasitwilaitham, Nawin Phromchaisa, Supphachai Khachonsiriphak, Niyom Pomkhamsing and Watcharaphon Pongkhamsing established and operated the WPU in Chiang Mai's Muang district from November 2012 and July 2013.
To convince their victims, they hired qualified teaching personnel and offered a variety of degrees that were claimed to be equivalent to degrees offered by other universities in the country.
The WPU claimed to be registered in Florida, which was proven untrue, the ruling said.
Although the executives pleaded not guilty, the judge was convinced by the evidence and found all guilty of fraud and violating the Computer Crimes Act, said the ruling. The court initially handed WPU rector Sawat a 62-year jail term, while his assistant Warangkhana was sentenced to 61 years. The rest initially were sentenced to between 10 and 34 years in prison.
However, the court later commuted their sentences to 10 years each, and ordered them to pay financial compensation to every person who had received degrees from the WPU.
Six of the nine made bail, while the rest were detained because they failed to submit their sureties in time.
