Sondhi Jailed For Libel

BANGKOK: -- Sondhi Limthongkul, founder of Manager newspaper and leader of the Peoples’ Alliance for Democracy (PAD), the yellow-shirted group that gained international notoriety last year for closing Bangkok’s two commercial airports, was sentenced to two years in prison Thursday after the Criminal Court found him guilty of making libelous statements against former deputy prime minister and finance minister Pridiyathorn Devakula.

The court refused to suspend the sentence as Mr Sondhi had earlier been found guilty on similar charges.

Mr Pridiyathorn filed charges against Mr Sondhi after the media tycoon spoke on his Thailand Weekly talk show on January 12, 2007 accusing the former finance minister with protecting former Revenue Department Director-General Siroj Sawadipanich, who was dismissed for issuing a letter to the ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, while he still held office, that the prime minister’s family was not liable for taxes in the Shin Corp share sell-off to Singapore's Temasek Holdings.

Mr Sondhi also criticised the former finance minister for his efforts to push the bill for the two- and three-digit lotto, widely seen by many as possibly providing amnesty for the previous administration for the issuance of the illegal lotto.

The court ruled Mr Sondhi had produced no evidence to substantiate his allegations to the public and handed down a two-year imprisonment.

The court also sentenced the second defendant, Khunthong Lorserivanich, editor of Manager daily, to one year in jail, but the court suspended his jail sentence for two years and fined him 30,000 baht.

The court also ordered that an apology be published in four newspapers for five consecutive days.

Mr Sondhi said he would appeal the verdict and that he is ready to be jailed if his defence fails, but was expected to be freed on bail today.