Court sentences Sondhi to six months' jail

• Published: 3/10/2009
• Bangkok Post
  

The Criminal Court yesterday morning sentenced Sondhi Limthongkul, a co-leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy, to six months in jail for defaming former foreign minister Noppadon Pattana.

Sondhi Limthongkul, co-leader of the People’s Alliance for Democracy, looks dejected after the Criminal Court sentenced him yesterday to six months in jail for defaming Noppadon Pattama, a former foreign minister. SURAPOL PROMSAKA NA SAKOLNAKORN

This is Sondhi's third jail sentence without suspension for defamation.

The court found Sondhi guilty of defaming Mr Noppadon by alleging the former minister had "betrayed the King's scholarship". Sondhi made the defamatory statement on Jan 19, 2007.

Mr Noppadon received a scholarship from the Anandamahidol Foundation (the King Rama VIII foundation).

The court also sentenced ThaiDay Dotcom Co and Manager Media Group for recording Sondhi's defamatory remarks made on an ASTV's Muang Thai Rai Sapda (Thailand Weekly) programme, and distributing it on VCD.

The court ordered each company to pay a 20,000 baht fine and for the CD recordings of the defamatory remarks to be seized and destroyed.

The court also ordered Sondhi and the two companies to publish the court's verdict in three daily newspapers - Thai Rath, Daily News and Matichon - for seven consecutive days.

The court, however, agreed to release Sondhi on bail of 100,000 baht.

Sondhi said he accepted the court's verdict, but would appeal against certain points of it that he disagreed with.

Sondhi said the National Anti-Corruption Commission found Mr Noppadon and former prime minister Samak Sundaravej negligent in their duties under Article 157 of the Criminal Code for signing a joint communique with Cambodia on the Preah Vihear temple.

This means his statements were not exaggerated, said Sondhi.

The Criminal Court on Sept 10 sentenced Sondhi to two years in prison for defaming former deputy prime minister MR Pridiyathorn Devakula.

The Court of Appeal on Sept 11 upheld a guilty verdict against Sondhi for defaming Phumtham Wechayachai, a former deputy information and communications technology minister, and gave him six months in jail.

The sentences would be served consecutively.