Sondhi gets two years in jail, Bt200,000 fine for defamation
The Rayong Provincial Court yesterday sentenced yellow-shirt leader Sondhi Limthongkul to two years in jail for defaming General Mongkol Ampornpisit, former chairman of the TPI Polene rehabilitation committee.
Sondhi has also been ordered to pay compensation of Bt200,000 plus 7.5 per cent interest per annum backdated to August 21, 2007, when the lawsuit was filed.
In his lawsuit, Mongkol said that Sondhi had defamed him in the “Yam Fao Pandin” talk show broadcast on television and the Internet as well as on some radio stations on May 25, 2007.
In the show, Sondhi claimed that Mongkol had abused his authority to siphon money from TPI, which later changed its name to IRPC, by paying himself a huge salary as well as giving large fees to an advisory firm.
Rayong Court chief judge Wattanapol Chaimanee said Sondhi violated Article 378 of the Criminal Code by making such allegations and hence had to serve two years in jail. The court will not suspend the term and has ordered that Sondhi publish an apology in Thai Rath, Daily News and Phujudkarn newspapers for three consecutive days.
Sondhi has been released on bail pending appeal.
