Sonthi Lim in clink?

[GWR]

It's one of those days when everything appears to be happening at once. Pity the poor prisoners who have to share his cell:

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/03/29/p1news/images/30030577-01.jpg
[Photo: The Nation]

Court sentence Sonthi Limthongkul to two years in jail

Criminal Court sentence Sonthi Limthongkul, owner of Manager Group, to two years in jail on libel suit on Thursday.

The court also ruled that Sonthi, a strong critic against the ousted prime minister, served the jail term immediately.

Phumtham Vejjayachai, former deputy secretary of Thai Rak Thai Party, sued Sonthi for making libelous statement against him during Sonthi's television talk show in Udon Thani in 2005.

The court found that Sonthi is guilty of the charge, sentencing him to two years in the prison. Sonthi is also ordered to pay compensation to Phumtham

The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30030570

Sondhi sentenced to 2-year imprisonment for defaming Thaksin's former aide

The Criminal Court Thursday sentenced media tycoon Sondhi Limthongkul to two years in jail for defaming Phumtham Vejjayachai, a former aided of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The court found Sondhi guilty in defaming Phumtham during his mobile Muang Thai Rai Supda (Thailand Weekly) on November 25.

The court declined to suspend the jail term but Sondhi sought and obtained a release on bail pending his appeal against the ruling.

The court also found his Thai Day firm guilty of taking part in disseminating defamation information against Phumtham. Thai Day was ordered to pay Phumtham Bt200,000 as a compensation.

During the talk show, Sondhi called Phumtham a former communist who did respect the monarchy institution.

The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30030569

[GWR]

07 March 2008
Court sentences PAD core member Sondhi to 1 year in prison
A Chiang Rai court has sentenced leading proponent against former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his party Thai Rak Thai, Mr. Sondhi Limthongkil (สนธิ ลิ้มทองกุล) to one year in prison on charges of slander.

The court has decided to forgo sending Mr. Sondhi to face charges in criminal court, effectively expediting the once protest leader to imprisonment. The case against Mr. Sondhi was the slander of high ranking government officials in the Department of Northern Parks and Foliage.

Part of his sentencing also entails the running of a written apology in five different publications directed at the government officials for a period of seven days.
Reporter : RTI-Reporter01
http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/previewnews.php?news_id=255103070014

DEFAMATION SUIT
Nine months in jail for Sondhi
Published on March 8, 2008
Free on Bt200,000 bail pending appeal

The Chiang Rai Provincial Court yesterday sentenced media tycoon Sondhi Limthongkul to nine months in prison for defamation related to his campaign against ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006.

Sondhi sought and received Bt200,000 bail pending an appellate review of his conviction.

"If I am to lose the final judicial review by the Supreme Court, I am prepared to walk into prison with dignity and will not complain, because I abide by the judicial system without any tampering like someone who tries to weaken the charges," he said in reference to Thaksin's alleged attempts to elude the law.

The litigation happened after Sondhi led an anti-Thaksin rally in Rayong. Part of his rally speech highlighted the involvement of a senior forest ranger in disrupting another anti-Thaksin rally in Bangkok by lighting firecrackers near the crowd.

He singled out Kengkat Srihasan as responsible for the attempted disruption. He also insinuated a link between Kengkat, who was then stationed in Chiang Rai with the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, and Yongyuth Tiyapairat, former natural resources and environment minister and a staunch Thaksin ally.

Kengkat sued for libel.

The provincial court ruled in favour of the plaintiff on the grounds that Sondhi had skewed the information with an intention to smear and politicise the firecracker attack.

In the initial sentencing, the court handed down a one-year jail term before granting leniency due to his cooperation in testifying.

The court also ordered the defence to publish a summary of the court's ruling in five national newspapers for seven consecutive days.

The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/03/08/politics/politics_30067557.php