Jatuporn's defamation suit dismissed
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The Criminal Court on Wednesday dismissed a defamation suit filed by red shirt leader Jatuporn Prompan against Democrat MP Thepthai Senpong, saying that Thepthai had merely expressed his opinion.
Jatuporn alleged in the trial that Thepthai defamed him in a press conference in which he asked the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to probe Jatuporn’s role in front of the Criminal Court building on June 2010.
On that day, red shirts members gathered at the Criminal Court to give moral support to a group of red shirts leaders who were asking for their release on bail. Jatuporn and other red shirt leaders joined the gathering. When the court decided not to grant bail, the reds blocked the prison vehicle carrying the defendants, preventing it from leaving.
Thepthai held a press conference the following day asking DSI to investigate Jatuporn’s role and to decide whether his participation in the gathering violated his own bail terms. Jatuporn at that time was free on bail on a terrorism charge.
The court Wednesday said Thepthai’s statements were just opinions and he was free to ask DSI if unsure whether Jatuporn had violated his bail or otherwise.
