Thai TV celebrity Sorrayuth, two others face embezzlement charge

[webfact]

TV celebrity Sorrayuth, two others face embezzlement charge
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Office of Attorney General Wednesday resolved to arraign TV celebrity Sorrayuth Suthassanachinda and two others for having allegedly embezzled Bt138 million from MCOT Plc.

OAG spokesman Wanchai Rujanawong said the OAG charge will state that Sorrayuth allegedly collaborated with then MCOT staff member Pitchaphan Iamsa-ard and Montha Thiradet of Rai Som Co Ltd, to embezzle the advertising revenue.

Sorrayuth is the owner of Rai Som, which won a contract to hold a news talk programme on Modern Nine TV.

MCOT alleges that Sorrayuth, Pitchaphan, Montha and the company collaborated to cheat the state enterprise of Bt138 million it should have received as revenue from extra advertising time during the news talk programme.

Wanchai said a team of public prosecutors had considered the evidence and found that the evidence was strong enough to substantiate the embezzlement charge.

The OAG will have public prosecutors will charge the four in court soon.

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/TV-celebrity-Sorrayuth-two-others-face-embezzlemen-30247580.html


-- The Nation 2014-11-12

[Katipo]

I wonder if he will keep presenting in spite of the charges. I suspect so

[ChrisY1]

But...but..I paid the money back...!!!!

Admitted guilt.....said sorry......free to go.....!

After all.....he is a celebrity!

[Commerce]

oooh! A Star! Millions will be in tears.....

[Bkungbank]

Always look at the bright side of it, during flood he has help many people who suffer .

[rkidlad]

Always look at the bright side of it, during flood he has help many people who suffer .

Yes, apparently some people who steal go to temples and make merit. Sometimes they help the poor and always make sure to document this with photographs in the media.

Why can't we just forget this massive crime??

[Thai at Heart]

I thought this was all dismissed last year?

[webfact]

News celebrity to be indicted in embezzlement case
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A joint panel of the National Anti-Corruption Commission and the Office of the Attorney-General has resolved to recommend that TV host Sorrayuth Suthassanachinda and three others be indicted for their roles in the alleged embezzlement of Bt138 million in advertising revenue from MCOT nine years ago, attorney-general's spokesman Wanchai Rujanawong said yesterday.

The four could also be indicted for their alleged involvement in a kickback payment to conceal the record of actual advertising revenues, he said.

The NACC on September 20, 2012, voted 7-0 to take legal action against three people and Rai Som Co after it found grounds to believe MCOT level 5 administrative official Pichapa Iamsa-ard had committed serious disciplinary and criminal offences. Sorrayuth, the managing director of Rai Som Co, Montha Theeradet, a director of Rai Som, and Rai Som Co had committed criminal offences by supporting officials to commit wrongdoings, the commission alleged.

Wanchai said the NACC had submitted its writ against Sorrayuth and three others to the A-G's Office for indictment but the prosecution agency on September 5, 2013, found holes in the case and ordered a joint panel of the Office and the NACC to find more evidence to plug them. The joint panel completed its investigation and recommended indictment of the four suspects accused of wrongdoings by the NACC.

He said the A-G's Office now believed that the case carried enough weight and ordered that the prosecution representatives meet with the NACC to wrap it up.

"It is likely that the NACC team will agree to indict the four because the graft agency earlier resolved to take action against them," he said.

The A-G Office's deputy spokeswoman, Santhanee Ditsayabut, said that under Article 6 of Offences Committed by State Agency and State Organisation Employees Act, officials accepting kickbacks are punishable with a maximum of life imprisonment or death and a Bt40,000 fine. State officials who are corrupt face up to 20 years in jail or life imprisonment and a Bt40,000 fine.

Under Article 11, state officials who commit malfeasance face up to 10 years' imprisonment or a Bt20,000 fine or both.

As Sorrayuth is not a state official, if he is found guilty of being complicit and supporting state officials to commit the offences, he would face two-thirds of the penalties, she said.

Wanchai said the joint panel of the Office of the Attorney-General and the NACC would meet on a date that is yet to be set to wrap up the case and the Office would then assign Special Litigation Office 2 to file the indictment.

Rai Som, founded by Sorrayuth, had a contract to produce the "Kui Kui Khao" news programme for MCOT to air on weekends from noon to 1pm from 2005-06.

Rai Som sold adverts for the programme and any income beyond the given five-minute commercial time sold by the company should have been handed over to MCOT. Sorrayuth allegedly paid MCOT staff to help conceal the records of the actual income beyond five minutes of advertising airtime. The concealed additional advertising time sold for the programme allegedly amounted to Bt138 million.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/News-celebrity-to-be-indicted-in-embezzlement-case-30247647.html


-- The Nation 2014-11-13

[RustBucket]

So let me get this right.

The news celebrities are selling the advertising space on their programmes?

This is the most insane business setup I have come across yet..... in the world.

[BSJ]

Like my mom would say: He seems like a nice young man.

[siampolee]

Rai Som sold adverts for the programme and any income beyond the given five-minute commercial time sold by the company should have been handed over to MCOT. Sorrayuth allegedly paid MCOT staff to help conceal the records of the actual income beyond five minutes of advertising airtime. The concealed additional advertising time sold for the programme allegedly amounted to Bt138 million.

So as well as the accused we should also hopefully witness the prosecution of the employees of M.C.O.T. who it seems benefited from somewhat flexible interpretations regarding the distribution of the revenue payable to M.C.O.T.

[casualbiker]

How many times can you be done for the same thing .. this was supposedly sorted out last year. Maybe he's upset some new people this year!

[SantiSuk]

Is everyone of money rotten to the core in this country?

[Robby nz]

It would seem now that some of the NACC budget has been reinstated they are able to get stuck into some of the 25,000 odd back cases of corruption that would have been forgiven by the now defunct amnesty bill.

[GAZZPA]

Is everyone of money rotten to the core in this country?

it seems so,,, I have met a few wealthy people, not a good one yet though. One thing they all seem to have in common is bragging about connections. They all brag about their incredible connections to politicians, army, banks etc and how they can "get things done". It's an epidemic and part of Thai culture I'm afraid, can't see it ever changing as everyone seems to aspire to achieving this,, very sad indeed.

[soalbundy]

Like my mom would say: He seems like a nice young man.

or,....it's just a phase he is going through

[Benmart]

I don't know the facts, unlike some others. However, I do know that greed seems to be universal and is often cloaked in celebrity which is a poor and temporary camouflage.

These chameleons have yet to discover the virtues of The Ten Paramita and most likely live only for self.

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

Boingoingoingoingoig!!!!!

[HUAHIN62]

It would seem now that some of the NACC budget has been reinstated they are able to get stuck into some of the 25,000 odd back cases of corruption that would have been forgiven by the now defunct amnesty bill.

Yes maybe they can find the documents relating to the Dems rice scheme fraud, you know the documents that disappeared during the 2011 flood. Oh sorry I forgot the justice system here only work on one side of the political devide.

[Dogmatix]

Same situation as Yingluck's prosecution. The AG initially declined to prosecute but a panel of NACC and AG people reviewed and eventually reached agrement to prosecute. In Yingluck's case the joint panel has been unable to agree, so the NACC will be forced to go it alone or drop it.

[Jay Sata]

I see they are also re opening the case against former tourism director Juthamas Siriwan.

Ms Juthamas and her daughter were accused of taking bribes from a Los Angeles film-making couple who were awarded a 60-million-baht contract to host the annual Bangkok International Film Festival between 2003 and 2006.

The American couple involved went to prison in the States.