GPO files defamation against two public figures over profit claim in Moderna deal

[snoop1130]

Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP

 

Thailand’s Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) has lodged a complaint with Phaya Thai police in Bangkok, accusing Dr. Boon Vanasin and Mr. Loy Chunpongtong of spreading false information about profit being sought in the Moderna vaccine procurement process, to discredit the organization.

 

Dr. Boon is the chairman of the Thonburi Healthcare Group, whereas Mr. Loy is a well-known mathematician, astronomer. The GPO acts on behalf of private hospitals in ordering the Moderna vaccine as only government agencies, with the exception of the Chulabhorn Royal Academy, can procure them.

 

In its complaint, the GPO accuses the two men of defaming the organization by providing false information to the public, causing the public to incorrectly believe that the organization is making huge profits from the procurement.

 

Full Story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/gpo-files-defamation-against-two-public-figures-over-profit-claim-in-moderna-deal/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-07-14

 

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[RotBenz8888]

3 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

 astronomer

Can he spot any Moderna vaccine out there? 

[Denim]

24 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

causing the public to incorrectly believe that the organization is making huge profits from the procurement.

So .....is it just standard profits then ?

[BostonRob2]

20 minutes ago, Denim said:

So .....is it just standard profits then ?

In my book the GPO are a good organization, well run, polite staff and excellent affordable medication that they produce themselves. Every right to sue for defamation to people who are probably rivals out for an illegal dig.

[LoliLoso]

Stop the rubbish defamation reports or claims. 

Go ahead to place the orders for Moderna Vaccines. 

Dragging their feet and blamed everybody else. 

[webfact]

Thai state drugmaker sues critic of its vaccine procurement

 

FILE PHOTO: A healthcare worker holds a vial of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine at a pop-up vaccination site operated by SOMOS Community Care during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S., January 29, 2021. REUTERS/Mike Segar

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's state drugmaker on Wednesday said it had initiated a defamation suit against the prominent chairman of a private hospital operator over his criticism of its procurement of Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.

 

The Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) suit accuses Boon Vanasin of providing false information, claiming that the GPO, as coordinator for Moderna vaccines for private hospitals, sought to maximize profit from the public, the GPO said in a statement.

 

"This damaged the GPO and therefore it is necessary to take legal action," it said.

 

The lawsuit comes as the government comes under fire for its vaccine policy, which has so far relied on Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines.

 

Boon, the outspoken chairman of Thonburi Healthcare Group Pcl and another critic of the government's vaccine policy, told local media that he welcomed the complaint.

 

"If GPO is suing me, then it's a good thing," Boon was quoted saying by local media.

 

"The GPO documents can be revealed and opened in court. It's all there, how many and how much."

 

Boon could not be immediately reached for comment and Thonburi Healthcare Group did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

 

Demand for mRNA vaccines in Thailand has surged amid slow rollout of the AstraZeneca shot and waning confidence in Sinovac.

 

The private hospital association had requested the GPO purchase 10 million Moderna doses for patients who had showed interest.

 

The GPO last month said it had procured just 3.9 million doses of the vaccine for private hospitals and expects another 1.1 million doses in 2022.

 

(Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-07-15

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[RichardColeman]

53 minutes ago, webfact said:

The lawsuit comes as the government comes under fire for its vaccine policy,

Don't like what we do and how badly we do it, we'll sue if you complain. 

 

 

[sammieuk1]

Open vaccination centres in courts is the way to go as what seems like the whole population will be due through their doors very soon  

[RJRS1301]

1 hour ago, RichardColeman said:

Don't like what we do and how badly we do it, we'll sue if you complain. 

 

 

Well open transparent government, open transparent court system, within their democratic rights ????????

Tongue firmly planted in cheek ????

 

Edited July 14, 2021 by RJRS1301

[internationalism]

13 hours ago, BostonRob2 said:

In my book the GPO are a good organization, well run, polite staff and excellent affordable medication that they produce themselves. Every right to sue for defamation to people who are probably rivals out for an illegal dig.

I have visited their 2 pharmacies (onnut and talin chan) on numerous occasions and find them incompetent and arrogant.

There are always empty, no clients, and very little choice of medicines and in limited quantity.

Pharmacists don't speak english and even don't know what medicines they are selling - I have asked for azithromycine, but they know only their brand names, don't recognise substance it contains. So the answer came "mai me". 

 

Their directors are now bumjaithai party cronies, nominated by dr Anutin and in par with his competence in medicine.

They still haven't signed moderna deal, they have admitted it 2 days ago. Why they are delaying is a mystery, same as to why they have stopped sputnik deal. They are clearly obstructing vax importation for private hospitals

Edited July 15, 2021 by internationalism

[HaoleBoy]

Another run around concerning Covid-19 vaccines ...

Just tell us that you've ordered Pfizer / Moderna and stop all the other b*llsh*t.

This Junta Gov should be sued for their mismanagement of procuring vaccines that are affective.

[Artisi]

Oh! such juvenile and fragile ego's, don't you fell so sorry for management of GPO. 

Maybe they should be sent off Phuket to play in the sand box, a bucket and spade along with a beach ball should see them right. 

[TheFishman1]

Everybody knows what’s really happening TIT

[bradiston]

14 hours ago, BostonRob2 said:

In my book the GPO are a good organization, well run, polite staff and excellent affordable medication that they produce themselves. Every right to sue for defamation to people who are probably rivals out for an illegal dig.

Isn't that last statement as worthy of a defamation lawsuit as the GPO one? The GPO famously and publicly blamed the Attorney General's Office for delaying the signing of the Moderna contract, until it was pointed out by the AGO that they had never even received a copy of the contract from the GPO, at which point one was hastily despatched, with no apology. Wasn't that defamatory?

 

Can you imagine a government department suing a private citizen for something they said, in your country?

[gk10012001]

14 hours ago, Denim said:

So .....is it just standard profits then ?

you beat me to it.  I was going to ask "Define huge". 

[gk10012001]

The bottom line is barely 5 % of the Thai population has been vaccinated.  Point fingers, shout blame, etc.  Sinovac I think is a poor solution.  Things cost money.   Ignorant people will not get vaccinated for reasons they believe, mostly irrational reasons.  What will happen by the year's end?  I probably work more months as my Government job and increase the pension I immediately qualify for as I am buying in and rolling over my ten years of Air Force time.  When Thailand makes more sense, I am ready to spend 6 months each year there

[mikebell]

14 minutes ago, TheFishman1 said:

Everybody knows what’s really happening TIT

But if you say it, you get sued.  LOL = Land of Lawyers.  Even the truth is no defence.

[hotchilli]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

In its complaint, the GPO accuses the two men of defaming the organization by providing false information to the public, causing the public to incorrectly believe that the organization is making huge profits from the procurement.

So let the GPO show the public the purchase agreement and price of the vaccine.

Then it will stop all the so called deformation cases from arising.

But no it say's it's secret and they cannot show it... 

[mlmcleod]

18 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

In its complaint, the GPO accuses the two men of defaming the organization by providing false information to the public, causing the public to incorrectly believe that the organization is making huge profits from the procurement.

Corrected the spelling!

 

In its complaint, the GPO accuses the two men of defaming the organization by providing information to the public, causing the public to correctly believe that the organization is making huge profits from the procurement.

[crazykopite]

Nobody should be making any profit on this pandemic the only people who do are ones with no conscience. AZ are suppling the AZ Vaccine at cost price 

[Pattaya Spotter]

So the GPO wants to go down the road of Thai hotels and sue it's critics rather than just getting on with its mission. Sad.

Edited July 15, 2021 by Pattaya Spotter

[rwill]

19 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Dr. Boon is the chairman of the Thonburi Healthcare Group

I hope this doesn't affect them getting their allocation of Moderna.

[John Drake]

Need less time in court and more time ordering and distributing vaccines.

[mtls2005]

These defamations suits are a delicate balance between frightening anyone from saying anything going forward, and not drawing too much attention to the original "story", which is often correct. 

 

Yes, I know that Defamation here is not dependent upon the truth, just that someone has to prove they were "hurt".

 

My advice would be to cool it on the defamation suits (Army, airport kerfuffle, this GPO moderna dust up, the coming AZ/SBS issues), but they ride the horse that gott hem here, so expect many, many more.

 

Maybe the GPO should stick to their core job, and secure vaccines. 

 

 

Edited July 15, 2021 by mtls2005

[WorriedNoodle]

20 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

20 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

astronomer

Can he spot any Moderna vaccine out there? 

He's also a "well known mathematician" so I wouldn't count on it.

[mtls2005]

These clowns spend more time suing than doing.

 

 

[Lorry]

18 hours ago, internationalism said:

I have visited their 2 pharmacies (onnut and talin chan) on numerous occasions

GPO doesn't have a pharmacy at Onnut.

I know their pharmacy at Huachiew Hospital, it is pretty useless and fits your description very well.

I also know the one at Chaengwattana, it is very good. 

 

NB in private,  GPO staff have said in February/March  that Moderna will only arrive at the end of the year. 

Edited July 15, 2021 by Lorry

[IAMHERE]

On 7/14/2021 at 5:26 AM, RotBenz8888 said:

Can he spot any Moderna vaccine out there? 

Orbiting near Uranus, that is where the brown envelops congregate. I read that, not my original whatnot.

[asiam110]

21 hours ago, HaoleBoy said:

Another run around concerning Covid-19 vaccines ...

Just tell us that you've ordered Pfizer / Moderna and stop all the other b*llsh*t.

This Junta Gov should be sued for their mismanagement of procuring vaccines that are affective.

Pfizer and Moderna have to be careful, executives and those that arrange the sales can face criminal charges in their home countries if they found to give bribes or backhanders or other favors to the corrupt Thais as part of the signoff, although AirBus and RR largely got away with it this was some years ago.  Whats probably happening now is that they  are lining up a chain of deniability where they funnel the money out thus the delay, think consultancy fees for a middle man company that's basically a shell company.  The greedy thais in power wont do anything without a brown envelope or modern equivalent (NACC sanctioned ideally). Luckily we have those defamation laws as this is dragging on a bit and we might need to silence some people.. 555

Edited July 15, 2021 by asiam110

[BostonRob2]

22 hours ago, bradiston said:

Isn't that last statement as worthy of a defamation lawsuit as the GPO one? The GPO famously and publicly blamed the Attorney General's Office for delaying the signing of the Moderna contract, until it was pointed out by the AGO that they had never even received a copy of the contract from the GPO, at which point one was hastily despatched, with no apology. Wasn't that defamatory?

 

Can you imagine a government department suing a private citizen for something they said, in your country?

I'll go out on a limb here and say that Trump, kind of state department, has taken the odd person to court. 

 

Everybody deserves protection under the law. Especially from people online who confuse free speech with libel.