Thai 'Yellow Shirt' Founder Sondhi Limthongkul Jailed For 20 Years

[webfact]

Thai 'Yellow Shirt' founder jailed for 20 years

BANGKOK, February 28, 2012 (AFP) - A court in Thailand on Tuesday sentenced one of the kingdom's most controversial political figures, media mogul Sondhi Limthongkul, to 20 years in prison for corporate fraud.

Sondhi is the founder of the royalist "Yellow Shirt" protest movement, which has played a major role in Thailand's colour-coded political conflict and helped to topple fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006.

The Criminal Court in Bangkok convicted Sondhi of violating the Securities and Exchange Act in a case dating back to the mid-1990s, and gave him the maximum sentence possible, a court official told AFP.

The 64-year-old tycoon is appealing the verdict and released on bail of 10 million baht ($330,000), his lawyer Suwat Apaipak told AFP.

He was accused by Thailand's Securities and Exchange Commission of falsifying documents used as collateral for a loan of almost 1.1 billion baht ($36 million) for his ASTV/Manager media empire.

Mass protests by the Yellows, formally known as the People's Alliance for Democracy, helped trigger the 2006 coup by royalist generals who ousted Thaksin, then seen as Sondhi's arch-enemy.

Thaksin now lives in self-imposed exile overseas to avoid a jail term imposed in his absence for corruption, but his younger sister Yingluck Shinawatra is the current prime minister.

In 2010 Sondhi was convicted of defaming Thaksin and handed a six-month suspended jail sentence.

The Yellows claim allegiance to the throne and are backed by the Bangkok-based elite, although their influence has waned since 2008 when they seized Bangkok's airports and stranded hundreds of thousands of tourists.

Sondhi was among dozens of Yellow Shirt supporters charged in 2010 with terrorism offences over the airport occupation. That case has yet to go to court.

He is also facing trial for insulting the monarchy -- a serious charge in the kingdom -- because he quoted from the speech of a hardcore Red Shirt.

In 2009 Sondhi survived an assassination attempt but was wounded in the head when gunmen wielding assault rifles opened fire on his car at a petrol station.

Thailand has seen a series of rival street protests in recent years by the Yellows and the mainly poor and working-class Red Shirts, who mostly support Thaksin.

Two months of mass anti-government protests by the Red Shirts in Bangkok in 2010 descended into the kingdom's worst political violence in decades, with more than 90 people killed in a military crackdown.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2012-02-28

[lannarebirth]

_{Let the healing begin.}

[Reasonableman]

Truth and reconciliation in action. That should go down well.... in some quarters...

[whybother]

And he will appeal and be out of jail causing havoc for the next 5 years ...

[Fookhaht]

Does anyone believe this might have happened in a "yellow shirt" administration?

[whybother]

Truth and reconciliation in action. That should go down well.... in some quarters...

It's interesting that he's been done for something that has nothing to do with the sh!t over the last 10 years.

[whybother]

Does anyone believe this might have happened in a "yellow shirt" administration?

Yes ... it might have.

[Zpete]

A political sentencing. !!!!!!!!!!!!

Thaksin deserves the same.

NOT faIr.

[JurgenG]

I don't really think he will serve even one month in jail but anyway it's a really great news

[Reasonableman]

Truth and reconciliation in action. That should go down well.... in some quarters...

It's interesting that he's been done for something that has nothing to do with the sh!t over the last 10 years.

And one might thus suspect it was politically motivated... and hence he should get off Scot free. Politics and the rule of law are uneasy bedfellows.

[Insight]

The anti-Thaksin protests were not pro-Sondhi protests. They were anti-Thaksin protests, and they will be anti-Thaksin protests again when the time comes.

[ginjag]

Thaksin gets 2 years, and Sondhi gets 20.  Thaksin always maintains his was politically motivated.  Ha Ha.   does anyone want to compare the sentences ????  which crimes against the state were more bad  ????   interesting to look for consistency.

[whybother]

Thaksin gets 2 years, and Sondhi gets 20. Thaksin always maintains his was politically motivated. Ha Ha. does anyone want to compare the sentences ???? which crimes against the state were more bad ???? interesting to look for consistency.

Different cases. No comparison. Wait (forever) for some of Thaksin's other cases to compare properly.

[jdinasia]

Does anyone believe this might have happened in a "yellow shirt" administration?

Yes, I believe it would have. Thaksin was convicted when his Bro-in-law was PM.

[webfact]

Sondhi faced with 85-year jail term for stock market violations

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Criminal Court on Tuesday found yellow-shirt leader Sondhi Limthongkul guilty for 15 counts of business fraud from 1996 to 1998 and sentenced him to serve 85 years in jail.

Sondhi has applied for Bt10 million bail pending the appellate review.

The case was based on the fraudaulent transactions between two listed companies, Manager Media Group and M Group, in order to secure six loans worth Bt1 billion from Krung Thai Bank.

The prosecution charged Sondhi and three defendants for conspiring to doctor the minutes of Manager Media board meetings in order to authorise him to act as loan guarantor for M Group.

Sondhi had acted without the authorisation and failed to report his liabilities to the stock market.

Even though the four defendants had pleaded guilty and asked for leniency for a suspended sentence, the court found no grounds for communting the punishment.

Under the securities law, the convicts will serve no more than 20 years in jail regardless of the original sentencing.

In regard to the counting of jail time for Sondhi, the court ordered his imprisonment be counted consecutively from three previous convictions for libel.

The first punishment was three-year jail term for defaming former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The second was six-month imprisonment for insulting barred party executive Phumtham Wechayachai. The third was six-month jail term for defaming against Thaksin's legal adviser Noppadon Pattama.

All three cases are under the appellate review.

-- The Nation 2012-02-28

[SlideRiceFC]

Somebody get that man on a plane to Dubai. They'll never catch him there. Or he could make a daring escape to Cambodia and lie low until he can negotiate something a little more easy to stomach for himself.

[AleG]

Good, one crook less and may the "Double Standards" choir choke on this for a bit.

[scorecard]

Thaksin gets 2 years, and Sondhi gets 20. Thaksin always maintains his was politically motivated. Ha Ha. does anyone want to compare the sentences ???? which crimes against the state were more bad ???? interesting to look for consistency.

Not quite as simple as you opportunistic comment.

- IMHO sondhi is a rogue, but I'm happy that he was one of the so called yellow shirt group who loudly sounded the alarm about thaksin.

- IMHO sondhi would not be a good PM for Thailand.

- IMHO, from what i've just read about his conviction it was a series of serious offences.

- None of the above changes the fact that thaksin committed a serious offence in regard to abuse of power and IMHO the punishment, for that specific offence, should be more than 2 years, regardless if it was a case involving thaksin or anybody.

Thailand desperately needs to gain ground in terms of people in high places and positions being the moral compass and the role model for high values and IMHO people who find themselves in high office and therefore given trust should be punished severely if they break that trust.

And please don't say thaksin was convicted on drummed up politically motivated offences. Not true.

[animatic]

This case goes to the heart of the BAD BLOOD between Thaksin and Sondhi.

This corresponds to the time when Thaksin and Sondhi were partners in a venture,

and then split up, and Sondhi was planning a Lao Satellite venture with Lao government, and partners, that would have been in huge direct competition with Shin Sat. that Thaksin was pushing through to launch.

Thaksin is not one to allow competition to a total monopoly of his if he can help it.

He also was was climbing into government power and the access it gives.

The period is the build up and fall of the Asian Tiger Economy under Chavalit in '97,

and full crash n burn in '98. Lots of people had toxic debt and questionable stocks

at this period it was status quo. Some made their connections and survived,

others not so lucky.

If you read it someone alleges that Meeting Minutes were doctored,

and that makes him bad. While Sondhi responds that they were doctored

to make him look bad. So, how to the have any proof who doctored them and when?

There must have been some testimony from involved parties?

What did they say? When did they say it, And what was their 'position at that time?

ie what kind of pressure could be exerted on them?

Edited February 28, 2012 by animatic

[hellodolly]

"Thailand has seen a series of rival street protests in recent years by the pro-establishment Yellows, backed by Bangkok-based elites, and the mainly poor and working-class Red Shirts, who mostly support Thaksin."

Any one else notice this the yellow shirts are backed by the elites. But thew red shirts are backing Thaksin.

Maybe it should read the Thaksin backed red shirts.

Just a thought

Edited February 28, 2012 by Scott
spelling

[Fookhaht]

Good, one crook less and may the "Double Standards" choir choke on this for a bit.

Yup, it's my first time to choke in living memory of my sojourn here in LOS.

[OzMick]

Does anyone believe this might have happened in a "yellow shirt" administration?

What is a "yellow shirt" administration; has there ever been one? FYI Sondhi has at least 2 defamation cases (I couldn't be bothered chasing the 3rd) where he was found guilty and sentenced to 6 years and 6 months respectively for defaming Thaksin and Nopadom, both cases heard during a Democrat government. (Sep 2010, Feb 2009)

IMHO jailing someone for defaming a pair of convicted criminals is a little silly, as is claiming political interference would prevent it.

[Xangsamhua]

So did he get 20 or 85 years?

[Fookhaht]

Does anyone believe this might have happened in a "yellow shirt" administration?

What is a "yellow shirt" administration; has there ever been one?

Let's not play games. We all know who set up the Abhisit government. And this last case, the one for which he is convicted and sentenced was certainly not carried out under the yellow-shirt-puppet government.

You're grasping to make a very weak point.

Edited February 28, 2012 by Fookhaht

[noitom]

Did he actually "stand trial" with a defense lawyer? Or did this court just decide to adjudicate his case arbitrarily? Of course he will appeal.It's a strategy to prove that he is playing by the rules, will win on appeal and therefore be a free man. So they want Thaksin to do the same. Come back, stand trial, appeal, and if you are innocent, you will be judged so.Except the appeal process doesn't seem to work as well as Sondhi's future case and Thaksin loses appeal.

[OzMick]

Does anyone believe this might have happened in a "yellow shirt" administration?

What is a "yellow shirt" administration; has there ever been one?

Let's not play games. We all know who set up the Abhisit government. And this last case, the one for which he is convicted and sentenced was certainly not carried out under the yellow-shirt-puppet government.

You're grasping to make a very weak point.

You asked "Does anyone believe this might have happened in a "yellow shirt" administration?" While denying that the Democrat government was any such thing, I provided you with 2 jail sentences imposed on the man during their term. This case also may have gone against him IF it had been heard during that period, but it wasn't so your surmise is rather ridiculous when it counters previous experience.

[OzMick]

Did he actually "stand trial" with a defense lawyer? Or did this court just decide to adjudicate his case arbitrarily? Of course he will appeal.It's a strategy to prove that he is playing by the rules, will win on appeal and therefore be a free man. So they want Thaksin to do the same. Come back, stand trial, appeal, and if you are innocent, you will be judged so.Except the appeal process doesn't seem to work as well as Sondhi's future case and Thaksin loses appeal.

Thaksin had the opportunity to appeal but failed to do so, and the allowed time has elapsed. When he comes back, the first step is incarceration and then prosecution for his outstanding charges.

<deleted> do you know many multi-millionaires facing the rest of their life in jail who don't have a legal representative or who don't appeal? Arbitrary court cases? The outstanding cases against Thaksin can't proceed because he isn't present, why would Sondhi's be heard without him appearing when he has not fled the country (yet)?

[JAG]

Does anyone believe this might have happened in a "yellow shirt" administration?

Given that Sondhis antics around last years election (forming own party, boycotting the polls etc) may well have cost the Democrats votes, I suspect that there is probably little love lost at the moment between him and the Bangkok establishment.

I have long thought that once he and his geriatric fascist mates (only my opinion) had outlived there usefulness they would be dropped like a hot potato.

Poor old Sondhi, not only did his ex mate Thaksin not arrange for him to be forgiven his debts, but now the debts themselves have come back and bitten him on the bum! Still, I don't expect that he will really serve any time in jail.

Edited February 28, 2012 by JAG

[overdog]

<deleted> do you know ...

...how long it takes for an accountable democracy to form?

Countries in the West are still in the process of "perfecting" it!

<deleted>. Give this society a break. Social and political changes (revolutions) - no matter their manifestation - take TIME! - along with the warts 'n farts (and darts from a buncha armchair know-it-alls)

[Briggsy]

Truth and reconciliation in action. That should go down well.... in some quarters...

It's interesting that he's been done for something that has nothing to do with the sh!t over the last 10 years.

Now, that's where you are so wrong. The reason Sondhi was front and centre during the yellow shirt protests is because Thaksin failed to deliver, in Sondhi's opinion, for getting him off the hook for over a billion bant's worth of debt.

It's all about the money, I'm afraid.

Loyalty to the monarchy, democracy, ideals, all just a smokescreen.