The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) announced on Friday that the department has filed 16 court cases related to the procurement of GT200 scanners by governmental agencies against the Thai distributor of the UK-made devices.

The statement was issued after the Don Meuang District Court on Wednesday found the Thai distributor of the fake scanners, Avia Satcom, and its executive, Mr Sitthiwat Wattakit, guilty of fraud and sentenced him to nine years imprisonment and a fine of 18,000 baht.

DSI said in the statement that it had investigated all the complaints filed by governmental and provincial units which bought the GT200 bomb and narcotic drug scanners from Avia Satcom.

All the devices were tested and they found to be completely ineffective in detecting bombs or narcotic drugs as claimed by the distributor and its manufacturer, UK-based Global Technical, said the DSI.

Some of the governmental and provincial units that procured the fake scanners named by the DSI in the statement were the Army Ordance Department, the Royal Aide De Camp Department, the Institute of Forensic Science, the Customs Department, the Local Administration Department, the Phuket provincial police, the Sing Buri provincial administration, the Phitsanulok provincial administration, the Chainat provincial police, the National Security Centre, the Royal Thai Navy and the Songkhla provincial administration organization.

Of the 16 cases filed with the courts, verdicts have been handed out by the courts in three cases.

In the first case filed by the prosecutor on behalf of the National Security Centre, the court acquitted Avia Satcom and its executive and the case is now with the Appeals Court.

In the second case, Mr Sitthiwat of Avia Satcom was sentenced to 36 years imprisonment and fined 72,000 baht, but he will serve only ten years because the law stipulates that the maximum jail-term for all the counts of offence must not exceed 10 years.

The third case was the verdict of the Don Meuang District Court on Wednesday.