Sorrayuth denies charges levelled against him by NACC
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Media personality Sorrayuth Suthassana-chinda yesterday insisted that he had paid Bt138 million to MCOT in advertisement revenue and that he would defend himself in court over a legal charge.
Sorrayuth also denied that he had paid a bribe to a member of the MCOT general staff to help him embezzle the advertisement fees.
During his news programme on Channel 3 at 7.11am, Sorrayuth expressed no emotion when he read from a prepared statement to defend himself.
He spent six minutes and 12 seconds on the defence statement.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission resolved on Thursday to seek a criminal action against Sorrayuth, an executive of his Raisom Co, and two MCOT officials related to the alleged embezzlement of the Bt138 million in revenue from extra-time advertisements.
Sorrayuth said he did not come out to explain the issue earlier because the NACC was still investigating the case and he did not want to influence the probe.
He said he had paid Bt138 million to MCOT as demanded, although he was still in dispute with the company over the sharing of the advertisement revenue.
He said the contract required MCOT to share the revenue from extra-time advertisements with Raisom at the rate of 50 per cent, but it had not paid this.
He said Raisom had filed a complaint with the Central Administrative Court asking it to order MCOT to pay up.
Ready to defend himself in court
Sorrayuth said he would defend himself in court over the NACC’s allegation that he had bribed an MCOT staff member to help him embezzle the ad revenue.
He said he did not know this staffer, Pitchapha Iamsa-ard, personally. He said he signed six cheques worth more than Bt700,000 to her because he was the only one in Raisom with the authority to sign cheques on behalf of the firm.
He said the money was for brokering fees for Pitchapha’s soliciting advertisements for the programme, and Raisom also deducted taxes from the fees, so it was not a bribe.
Sorrayuth said it was impossible for just one staff member to assist him in a cover-up of a long-term embezzlement as alleged by the NACC.
