MANDALAY DIVISION – On September 27, the military council sentenced Mr. Soe Tun Shein, the owner of the National Development Company, to 10 years in prison and confiscated his gold mining operations.
According to the community close to the prison, the sentence was passed in the Yamethin District Court on September 27. Mr. Soe Tun Shein, who was charged in 2018 for unpaid gold of 1293 viss due to the state and disobeying instructions to stop gold production.
“He was sentenced to 10 years in prison yesterday (September 27) at the Yamethin District Court but with no hard labor. Some of his gold business has also been confiscated,” a person close to the Yamethin Prison said.
It is reported that Mr. Soe Tun Shein, owner of a gold mining business, was sentenced to a long prison term after the junta council confiscated some of his gold business.
Mr. Soe Tun Shein, the owner of Moe Hti Moe Mi Gold Mine and National Development Company, was prosecuted by the National League for Democracy Party (NLD) government under Section 3 of the Public Property Protection Act, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 7 years and he was trialed under custody of Yamethin Prison.
He had submitted a petition to the of the junta council chief on March 9, 2023, for his release, promising to work hard in the construction works of the military council.
Similarly, the members of Ma Ba Tha (an extremist group made up of stout supporters of the junta council) supported by him had requested the military council to release Mr. Soe Tun Shein from prison.