iTV Demanded To Pay Concession And Fines Exceeding 100 Billion Baht

[Jai Dee]

Prosecutors challenges iTV, saying the TV network is obliged to pay billions of baht penalty fee

Prosecutors submits their indictment of iTV to the Central Administrative Court, demanding iTV to pay a concession fee and fine of more than hundred billions of baht.

Today (March, 30th) at 10.30 a.m., the prosecutors of the iTV case have traveled to the Central Administrative Court to submit the indictment. iTV was earlier sued by the Office of the Prime Minister, its contract partner, on grounds on delayed payment of concession fee and adjustment of its program schedule.

The concession fee the station owns to the PM’s Office is estimated at about 2.8 billion baht, plus an interest of 18 percent a year. The fine for adjusting the program schedule is about 90 billion baht with an interest of 7.5 percent a year.

iTV has requested the Arbitrary to reconsider the amount of fine as it claimed that it had calculated the fine differently from the PM’s Office.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 30 March 2007

[Jai Dee]

iTV Plc sued for over Bt100 billion

The Office of Permanent Secretary for PM's Office Friday filed the legal suit against iTV Plc at the Central Administrative Court, demanding damages worth over Bt100 billion.

The office also demanded an additional Bt600 million, which is the value of the assets the broadcasting firm has yet to transfer to the PM's Office.

Out of the total claim, Bt2.886 billion are the overdue concession payment, Bt570 million the interest of the overdue payment, and Bt97 billion the fine of iTV violation of the concession conditions.

Banlang Pinsakol, the public prosecutor assigned by the Office of the Permanent Secretary of the PM's Office to proceed the filing, said that in the tenth year of the concession period, iTV is required to transfer the assets worth totally Bt4.7 billion to the PM Office.

However, the assets it handed to the office in the year is worth only Bt3.9 billion, therefore, the broadcaster has to transfer to the office another Bt600 million.

Source: The Nation - 30 March 2007