Sondhi pleads not guilty

BANGKOK: -- Media tycoon Sondhi Limthongkul Monday pleaded not guilty for alleged defamation against two clans stemming from his attack on the sale of Shin Corp by the family of deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra and that of his Damapong inlaws.

Sondhi and nine fellow defendants from Manager Group claimed trial and petitioned for the hearing of witnesses to proceed without requiring their presence. They cited their work schedule as media professionals as reason not to attend all trial proceedings.

General Chaisit Shinawatra, former supreme commander and Thaksin's cousin, initiated the lawsuit claiming Sondhi had tarnished the reputation of Shinatras-Damapongs clans.

Following arraignment, the disputed parties filed the names of 18 prosecution witnesses and 17 for the defence.

The Criminal Court has scheduled January 15, 2007 for Sondhi and Chaisit to appear for a mediation session. Should the two fail to reach a settlement, the court will then set a trial date.

-- The Nation 2006-10-30

Sondhi pleads not guilty

BANGKOK: -- Media tycoon Sondhi Limthongkul Monday pleaded not guilty for alleged defamation against two clans stemming from his attack on the sale of Shin Corp by the family of deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra and that of his Damapong inlaws.

Sondhi and nine fellow defendants from Manager Group claimed trial and petitioned for the hearing of witnesses to proceed without requiring their presence. They cited their work schedule as media professionals as reason not to attend all trial proceedings.

General Chaisit Shinawatra, former supreme commander and Thaksin's cousin, initiated the lawsuit claiming Sondhi had tarnished the reputation of Shinatras-Damapongs clans.

Following arraignment, the disputed parties filed the names of 18 prosecution witnesses and 17 for the defence.

The Criminal Court has scheduled January 15, 2007 for Sondhi and Chaisit to appear for a mediation session. Should the two fail to reach a settlement, the court will then set a trial date.

-- The Nation 2006-10-30

"Tarnished the "reputations" of the Shinawatras and Damapongs"

Thats akin to calling Lucky Luciano and Al Capone crooks. Thaksin himself tarnished their reputation long before Sonthi came along. As for Sonthi, his namesake ,Sondhi Boonyaratgalin, should award him a medal for helping to rid Thailand of Toxin .

I imagine Chaisit himself is in an inactive post somewhere too.

UPDATE..sort of..this one was filed by yet another of the Shinawatra/Damapong clan...

Court acquits Sondhi in defamation suit against Damapong clan

The Criminal Court Thursday acquitted media tycoon Sondhi Limthongkul in the suit that he had defamed the Damapong and Shinawatra families.'

The suit was filed by Vice Adm Kiattisak Damapong.

He alleged that a report in The Manager Daily on January 24, which said the Damapong and Shinawatra families had cheated the country regarding the sale of Shin Corp shares to Temsek Holdings.

Sonthi was named co-defendant along with the paper and leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy.

The Nation

========================

Seemed Sondhi was getting sued so often by the Clan, there was never a separate thread started for this case.

Another:

Thaksin Sues Sondhi Demanding 1 Billion Baht

But it's true... Thaksin suggested to Man City football club that they can call him Sinatra.

http://www.thailandoutlook.tv/toc/ViewData...?DataID=1000890

But it's true... Thaksin suggested to Man City football club that they can call him Sinatra.

http://www.thailandoutlook.tv/toc/ViewData...?DataID=1000890

That is absolutely hilarious! he suggested the foreign press call him either Sinatra or Taxi!

I hope the forum members have fun with that.

After all the accusations I've heard coming from Sonthi L., quite raunchy at times too, even though he spent a day in jail, I'd say he's got quite a good track record as a watchdog.

Damapong lawsuit dismissed by court

The Criminal Court yesterday dismissed a libel lawsuit between a Damapong family member and media tycoon Sondhi Limthongkul, saying that critical comments about the Shin Corp deal last year were not meant as a smear against any individual.

"Though a member of the family is linked to the deal, the plaintiff is not directly involved in the transaction, hence not an injured party, and there is no evidence that his reputation has been tarnished by the defendant's comments," the court said in the verdict.

Sondhi, in comments in his paper Phujadkarn and on the Manager website, was critical of the deal. He labelled it as a sham committed by the Shinawatra and Damapong families.

Sondhi attacked ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra's family members and his Damapong in-laws for selling the telecom business to Singapore's Temasek Holdings.

As plaintiff, Vice Admiral Kiartisak Damapong sued Sondhi and his Manager Grop for defaming his family.

In its ruling, the court said testimony from witnesses called by the prosecution and the defence concurred that news reports circulated by Sondhi's media outlets were within journalist's duties to inform the public about.

Further, all reports cited as evidence by the disputed parties made no mention about the plaintiff. Nor could they be construed as an individual attack.

Key prosecution witnesses testified that they did not view Sondhi's comments as aimed at the plaintiff, therefore the court had no reason to suspect defamation, it said, before ruling in favour of the defendant.

After the verdict session, Sondhi said he would rely on the acquittal ruling to convince public prosecutors to drop his other libel case filed by Chatchai Damapong, who acts on the family's behalf similar to Kiartisak. He suspected certain people may be funding the family's legal moves.

- The Nation

======================

In addition to the lawsuits filed by Thaksin directly, he seems to have a number of them filed by proxy....

Chaisit Shinawatra

Kiartisak Damapong

Chatchai Damapong

Damapong lawsuit dismissed by court

The Criminal Court yesterday dismissed a libel lawsuit between a Damapong family member and media tycoon Sondhi Limthongkul, saying that critical comments about the Shin Corp deal last year were not meant as a smear against any individual.

"Though a member of the family is linked to the deal, the plaintiff is not directly involved in the transaction, hence not an injured party, and there is no evidence that his reputation has been tarnished by the defendant's comments," the court said in the verdict.

Sondhi, in comments in his paper Phujadkarn and on the Manager website, was critical of the deal. He labelled it as a sham committed by the Shinawatra and Damapong families.

Sondhi attacked ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra's family members and his Damapong in-laws for selling the telecom business to Singapore's Temasek Holdings.

As plaintiff, Vice Admiral Kiartisak Damapong sued Sondhi and his Manager Grop for defaming his family.

In its ruling, the court said testimony from witnesses called by the prosecution and the defence concurred that news reports circulated by Sondhi's media outlets were within journalist's duties to inform the public about.

Further, all reports cited as evidence by the disputed parties made no mention about the plaintiff. Nor could they be construed as an individual attack.

Key prosecution witnesses testified that they did not view Sondhi's comments as aimed at the plaintiff, therefore the court had no reason to suspect defamation, it said, before ruling in favour of the defendant.

After the verdict session, Sondhi said he would rely on the acquittal ruling to convince public prosecutors to drop his other libel case filed by Chatchai Damapong, who acts on the family's behalf similar to Kiartisak. He suspected certain people may be funding the family's legal moves.

- The Nation

======================

In addition to the lawsuits filed by Thaksin directly, he seems to have a number of them filed by proxy....

Chaisit Shinawatra

Kiartisak Damapong

Chatchai Damapong

The Shinawatra/Damapong clan have done more damage to their own reputations by their own actions than what any other person could do them. For exposing it Sonhi L should be thanked.