Former Thailand PM sentenced

The Thai Supreme Court has sentenced Former Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to two years in prison after he was found guilty of corruption.



Thaksin was found to have violated conflict of interest rules in helping his wife buy land from a state agency at a reduced price.



Prime ministers and their spouses in that country are reportedly barred from doing business with government agencies.



The nine-member court ruled by five to four that Thaksin had violated the constitution in involving himself in the land deal.



The ruling is said to be the first in a string of stalled and slow-moving cases against Thaksin.



Thaksin, who was prime minister from 2001-2006, has since described the ruling as politically motivated.